


Visible to you

by pamucchi



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-06-16 03:50:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 55,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15428409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pamucchi/pseuds/pamucchi
Summary: Seriously, with high school and dealing with feelings on their plate, dealing with ghosts and the spirit world isn't part of Nayeon's wishlist, and it isn't part of Chaeyoung's bucketlist to become a ghost either.Or, Nayeon's life as a high school student changes when she sees Chaeyoung, who was missing a few days ago, in the middle of the school garden. The poor kid couldn't remember anything, and Nayeon freaks when her book just goes through her. Suddenly, they find themselves in the midst of something they couldn't imagine.Also at AFF





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Cross posted at AFF under the same username if you like reading it there.
> 
> Sorry for the crappy title and summary. Comments are highly appreciated. Thanks

“Myoui Mina- _sunbaenim_ , I like you very much. Please go out with me.” Nayeon passed by the fountain in front of their school courtyard just in time to see balloons a flock of students surrounding Myoui Mina, who was in front of a girl who held her a bouquet of flowers while doing a 90-degree bow. Mina had an unreadable expression in her face.

“Judging from the green necktie hanging down her neck, she’s a freshman.” Sana pipes in from her left and puts an arm around her shoulder, an amused smile on her face. “It’s only the start of the second trimester and that swan already gets a confession from a freshman. What a record.” Nayeon laughs, as she remembers the incidents Mina had to encounter the year before. And the trimester before.

Myoui Mina, the junior beauty who never smiled at anybody in school. She is known for her looks, her talents in performing, and her cold personality. For the past years, even during her freshman year, she’s harshly turned down at least one confession almost every single day. Still, boys (and some girls) wouldn’t learn and would still try to confess with little to no fruit.

Boys love her, girls hate her. That’s why Mina doesn’t have a lot of friends.

( _Well, Sana considers herself a friend of hers, if she would count her first and last interaction with Mina by the lockers, who thanked her for picking up her book as an act of friendship. This was during their freshman year._

 _“She spoke to me! We are friends!” She exclaimed, earning groans from her classmates and a slap on the back and a hissed “cut it” from Momo. Not to mention Mina, who was sitting by the classroom window, looking at her weirdly._ )

“This is the grandest confession so far though, gifts and all. How brave.” Nayeon commented, squinting to observe how the students surrounding them held their breaths while observing the scene before them. Confessions aren’t new scenes to Nayeon, or to anyone, really. But the outcomes of these confessions are unpredictable with an unpredictable Mina at the receiving end of these confessions.

( _The ever playful senior Nayeon, who was a sophomore that time, tried confessing to the then-freshman Mina to see the rumored “cold-hearted freshman burning love letters by the courtyard” to herself. She waited by the freshman lockers with a letter on her hand._

 _Let’s say Nayeon chickened out when she saw that big senior bully (“Minho-sunbaenim…?”) with a black eye and a burned chocolate._ )

“And judging from that baseball jacket, that voice, and that posture,” an arm suddenly hooked around Sana’s neck, “it looks like my baby Chaeng’s all grown-up now.” Nayeon peeks and sees Jeongyeon with that big grin on her face, her short, blond hair tousled slightly. “Good thing I finished cleaning duty early, or else I might’ve missed the fun part!”

“Fun part meaning your precious _dongsaeng_ Son Chaeyoung being dumped in a not-so-nice way?” Sana removes Jeongyeon’s arm around her and slaps the latter’s back. “You’re mean! You know how much Mina hates Chaeyoung! Look at her face! I think she’s about to slap her!” Sana covers her eyes while Jeongyeon rolls her eyes.

“I don’t even get why she hates her so much.” She muttered to herself, unnoticed by her peers.

“Oh, so it was Chaeyoung.” Nayeon suddenly pips in, squinting hard, trying to see what’s happening. “Couldn’t make out who it was. I couldn’t even find my glasses after class, and I swore I brought them to school.”

“It’s because you left your glasses in the music room, doofus.” A hand waving Nayeon’s glasses appears with Momo’s smiley face. “Good thing Shiah- _sunbaenim_ is a sweetheart and gave it to me. Imagine Sojung- _sunbaenim_ getting a hand of your glasses! Before you get it back you wouldn’t hear the end of it.”

“ _Nayeon, how many times do I have to tell you not to be careless of such things? Don’t take your glasses for granted._ ” Jeongyeon tried her best to imitate her senior. Sana and Momo cracks up while Nayeon only groans.

“Cut it out, you disrespectful juniors!” Nayeon grabs her glasses, and her hand brushes with Momo’s. She inhales sharply, her cheeks getting pink, and she ducks to wear her glasses and hide her blushing face.

( _Nayeon may or may not have a crush on her best friend Momo, but she won’t admit it to anyone, nor she would confess to her. Not now. Not ever._

_She knows Momo likes somebody else, even though the girl wouldn’t admit even to Nayeon her best friend. It makes Nayeon sad sometimes, Momo hiding something from her, but she doesn’t show it. Nor does she show how slightly disappointed she was when she realizes that Momo might never reciprocate her feelings._

_“You’re quite the martyr,” Sana said to her once._ )

Her little act of bashfulness is unfortunately (or fortunately) not noticed when a resounding sound of a slap was heard.

Myoui Mina just slapped Son Chaeyoung, then left the poor freshman who was still holding the bouquet, but not without popping a balloon near her.

“Woah, poor Chaeyoung,” Nayeon adjusts her glasses and looks closely, “but not really. Look at her smiling like an idiot.” She leans to Jeongyeon so that their 2 other companions won’t hear. “Idiot like her sister.”

“Hey! I’m not!” Jeongyeon shoves her playfully before running towards Chaeyoung, who was still standing looking lovestruck. The other students dispersed quickly right after the scene, with some silently cheering for the freshman.

“The cub’s totally in love, although I hope she won’t get distracted during our games this season. I have enough idiots in the team already, _namely Yoo Jeongyeon_.” Momo says to both Nayeon and Sana, and they laugh.

“Hey! I heard that!” Jeongyeon shouts, and the 3 girls run towards the gate while laughing.

* * *

Since Momo and Sana live at the other side of the district and Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung went out to eat, Nayeon had to walk home alone today. It’s 5pm and the streets are full of people rushing to get where they needed to be. Nayeon, on the other hand, leisurely walks while occasionally taking glances of the people she passes by. She wonders if she would be like the people she sees if she graduates high school this year and enter college.

 _If_ she graduates high school this year. She sighs. Her calculus grade last trimester barely made it, and she’s not sure if she can make it this time for her advanced trigonometry class (she barely made it during her junior trigonometry class, too). She reminds herself to ask her seatmate, Yuta, for help. Or maybe Jihyo, who skipped junior maths with Mina and is in their class.

_What’s good in math anyway? I don’t need math in an art school._

She thinks about her life as a senior, a mundane life like everybody else’s. However boring, she likes to bask in the comfort of normalcy. Normal school, normal friends, normal lifestyle. Normal everything.

Without noticing, Nayeon arrives at her house. Her house is at the middle of the busy center of their district, and it’s not hard to notice with the sign “IM’S SPIRIT SERVICES” hanging in front. She sighs before entering the door. So much for normal everything.

The sight that beholds her doesn’t shock her, with a frantic customer shouting to her sister about a “ _ghost that wouldn’t put my makeup down_ ” and said sister who sat behind the counter trying to calm the lady who looks like she’s about to burst. Nayeon rolls her eyes and head to the back door where their actual living quarters were. She puts her bag down and plop on the sofa, turning the television on to see the cheesy drama Sana loves so much.

After a good few minutes, the back door opens and closes. Her sister, Yoona, emerges with a tired face and heads straight to the kitchen to take a glass of water.

“And how many people did you fool today with your “ghost services”? Quite a lot?” Nayeon mocked. Her family owned this house for ages, and they are known to be the best mediums in town since the 1800s. But Nayeon doesn’t believe in any of these and passes off the weird stuff her family is doing as “cheap magic tricks”.

“Are we going to have this conversation again?” Yoona sighs and plops beside Nayeon. “None of what we’re doing are petty jokes, Nabongs, mom has been telling you that.”

“Yeah, and I bet dad is on this too, you know, his ghost?” Nayeon deadpans, her eyes not steering away from the commercial that’s being shown. “Why don’t you ask him where Jaebum- _oppa_ is.”

Yoona clenches her jaw, her grip tight on the glass she’s holding. Had Nayeon looked at her, she would’ve seen her sister’s exasperated blue eyes directed at her.

“Not today, Nayeon, not today.” She stands up abruptly and marched upstairs to her room, still with her glass of water. “By the way, dad doesn’t know either.” Yoona slams her door and Nayeon sighs, knowing she went overboard.

_Why am I getting cranky nowadays?_

* * *

( _Later that night, Nayeon dreams of the sun and moon together. She’s been having the same dreams since her senior year started but brushed it off as a weird coincidence._

_She told Sana about her dream one time, but she only earned strained creepy whiny laughs from her. Nayeon doesn’t know what to make out of that._

_So, she dreams about it, only this time, there was blood._ )

* * *

Nayeon walks slowly towards the school gates. She didn’t get enough sleep due to some nightmare she had the night before, but she prepared and left early to avoid her sister during breakfast.

So, she pauses when she doesn’t see anybody in the courtyard.

She ran towards her class even though she still had 30 minutes to spare, afraid that she missed some announcement of “an early school start”, and sees her physics teacher seated in front, her classmates seated looking forlorn, especially softball senior captain Jeonghan. She only then notices the presence of a police officer beside her teacher.

“Please sit down miss Im. I know it’s early, but it’s important.” Without even being told, she went to her seat in the middle of the room. She looked beside her and looked at Yuta the ever prankster of the class, who looked so solemn. Nayeon swallows, a foreboding feeling overtaking her whole being.

“As we’ve been telling you,” the police officer said, earning everybody’s attention including Nayeon’s, “we’ll bring in some officers in the school for heightened protection and investigation as well.”

“I’m sorry,” Nayeon raises her hand, her voice quieter than normal. “I didn’t get quite the situation. What’s happening?”

“Didn’t you watch the morning news today?” The officer asked. Nayeon swallows the second time, a sense of fear washing her and fearing the worse. _Did I miss something yesterday?_

“Son Chaeyoung, from class 1-A, went missing last night.”


	2. 1

  _Son Chaeyoung, from class 1-A, went missing last night._

_Son Chaeyoung went missing last night._

_Son Chaeyoung went missing._

_Son Chaeyoung._

Mina stares blankly at the board, not entirely focusing on the word CHEMISTRY being written by their teacher. She drones out and looks outside the window. She sees class 1-A in the track and field area. They do their laps, but not as fast as their ace runner Chaeyoung.

_Son Chaeyoung, from class 1-A, went missing last night._

Mina scoffs to herself. She didn’t care about the obnoxious freshman now, why care now?

( _Chaeyoung isn’t obnoxious, but Mina wouldn’t admit that. It would make her question her hate._

_Mina has some trust issues since middle school because of backstabbing people back in her hometown in Japan, that’s why when she got into a good high school in Seoul where her parents moved for their line of work, she promised herself not to get involved with anybody, even though the Korean crowd is different and way better than her classmates back in Kyoto._

_Not with Sana who looked genuinely happy when she said thanks to her for picking her books up. Not even Jihyo who always had been the friendly class president. Not even with Jeongyeon, her crush, who offered to give her a tour of the district she lives in now._

_She really likes Jeongyeon, although she wouldn’t admit that too._

_She resorted to do cruel things to those who confesses to her just to make them go away. It doesn’t work, obviously, but it makes 75% of the school population afraid of her, so she’s satisfied with that. She just wants to survive high school._

_Then junior year came. The school’s attention then went on the shy but friendly Son Chaeyoung from 1-A. The girl came like a whirlwind; sweeping fanboys and fangirls alike with her shy smile, impressing teachers with her good academics, and aweing their school athletes with her insanely athletic skills and breathtaking art. It was only natural for her to join the softball team where Jeongyeon and Momo are (even with Yuna’s invitation for the track and field team), and the art club which was currently an invite-only club (It was Taeyeon, a college senior who came from their school and worked part-time as the club moderator, who invited her in. People told Chaeyoung she only invited one other person, Kang Seulgi, and said girl was already considered one of the best in this generation.). It was also natural for her to come out on top of her batch at the end of the first trimester with Chou Tzuyu running second by a very close margin._

_Mina only knows this because of Sana’s never-ending talk, and not because she’s interested._

_Besides, why would she be interested? She hates her. The first time she saw Chaeyoung, the freshman accidentally poured orange juice on her Chemistry textbook when sophomore Yugyeom “accidentally” tripped her. She knew it wasn’t the cub’s fault, but her never-ending apologies and snickers from the stupid sophomore annoyed her to no end. Not to mention the “C” her research teacher gave her for no reason, and the not-so-nice call she got from her father this morning. So, she did what first comes to her mind._

_She slapped Chaeyoung._

_And she hates the way Chaeyoung looks at her, she looks at her with so much sadness. She hates the way her classmates gather to defend the freshman. She hates it when it was Jeongyeon who lashes out at her for slapping her dongsaeng. She doesn’t notice, however, how Chaeyoung pulls her no-jam hyung away, how she tells those aggravated to let it go since “it probably wasn’t Myoui-sunbae’s day”._

_She hates herself for lashing out because of own problems, but she hates Chaeyoung more for making her a fool in front of her classmates and her crush. She hates her for making a fool out of her usually cold and calculated self. And she hates Chaeyoung for not hating nor fearing her._

_She knows she’s being irrational, but it’s not like she can take back what happened. Better go on with it anyway. Just until high school anyway.)_

The bell rings, signifying lunch, but Mina doesn’t have the appetite to eat, nor did her other classmates like Sana. She feels so odd without the loud girl pestering her to eat lunch with them, and the said girl sitting in her chair with her head on her desk. Momo, the class’s eating machine, was picking with her food, obviously not in the mood to eat ( _Sooyoung and Yerin were giving her sad looks, knowing how Momo was truly upset with her not eating her favorite jokbal_ ). Jihyo, their ever-strong class president, tries to lift the atmosphere by announcing club auditions and such, although it was obvious that she’s doing her best not to breakdown. She, Momo Sana, and Jeongyeon were close to Chaeyoung, after all.

And Jeongyeon wasn’t there.

Mina looks at Jeongyeon’s empty desk in front of her. Everybody in class knew how close Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung were, even dubbing them as the “no-jam brothers”. She sighs and looks back outside to see one of 1-A’s students (she remembers her name was Yerim) bawling while running, her classmates trying not to join her cry-fest.

Mina looks away, a heavy feeling in her chest getting heavier every second.

* * *

         Lunch time was a quiet affair with all students in a somber mood. Almost everybody was well-acquainted with the freshman student who went missing, so nobody could think of anything why the jolly lovestruck cub would go missing the next day.

         ( _“It’s okay!” Chaeyoung pumped her fist after Mina left. “There’s always a next time!” She had a grin than can rival the sun’s brightness if you ask her classmates._ )

The police told the student body that it was a kidnapping case.

         “Hey, I called Seungwan- _unnie_. She really sounded distraught.” Sana plopped down beside Nayeon, who was staring at her lunch. “She’s making sure the police are doing everything they can, so she said we shouldn’t worry.” Sana’s voice, however, gives away the fact that she can’t help but worry.

         “How about Jeongyeon? Did you get a hold of her?” Jihyo asks, Sana shaking her head in return.

         “Where’s Momo?” Nayeon finally speaks up. She looks around the cafeteria searching for Momo.

         “At the room, wouldn’t budge.” Sana answered, then slams her head on the table. “This is the worst. Why did it have to be Chaeyoung?” Sana started sobbing, with a flustered Nayeon and Jihyo trying to comfort her. The other students looked at them with a mixture of pity and sadness.

         “Where’s Jeongyeon when you need her? She’s good at situations like this.” Nayeon grumbled, suddenly noticing the blonde’s absence.

         “She’s absent.” Jihyo simply says, looking at Nayeon with downcast eyes. Nayeon sighs, hugging the still-sobbing Sana and Jihyo.

* * *

          _“Are you happy now? Chaeyoung’s gone and you’re on top now.”_

Tzuyu continues to wash her hands even though there’s no more suds left. She kept scrubbing her hands under the warm scalding water from the faucet. Her classmate, Yewon’s words ring in her mind like a blaring alarm. She keeps scrubbing until she feels her hands hurt, then she closes the tap. She looks up the mirror and stare at her reflection.

          _“Chaeyoung’s gone and you’re on top now.”_ She closes her eyes and grabs the sides of the sink.

         She knows Yewon doesn’t mean her words, but it doesn’t mean that she isn’t deeply hurt by it. She opens her eyes and briefly sees Chaeyoung’s reflection on the mirror before it goes back to her own.             

         ( _“Don’t mind them. Their just jealous of me since they don’t get to talk to you.” Chaeyoung once told her during a statistics class during the first week of 1st trimester. The teacher divided them into pairs that day to work on a pop quiz. The first pair to submit would have bonus points on the exam, so Tzuyu naturally works into it, regardless of Chaeyoung’s help. Of course, Tzuyu didn’t know Chaeyoung that time, and her classmates from middle school were already glaring at her ever before the start of class._

_“There goes the know-it-all Chou Tzuyu.” They would say. All of them. The whole class of 1-A, either behind her back, or in front of her (brave gits)._

_Except for this Son Chaeyoung._

_A few minutes after their teacher gave them the pop quiz, Chaeyoung tapped her shoulder and gave her notebook._

_“I know you’re the competitive type,” Chaeyoung starts, biting her lips (Tzuyu finds this endearing, but then again, the new girl’s somebody she still doesn’t know). “And I’ve heard you’re the top of your class back in middle school, so I figure I should be somewhat useful.” Tzuyu peeks into Chaeyoug’s notebook and her eyes widened._

_All the 10 items in the pop quiz answered. All of them correct. She could only nod at her, and a beaming Chaeyoung raises both of their hands while shouting “Finished!”._

_At this point in time, Tzuyu feared Chaeyoung, and her parents. Somebody better than Tzuyu equates to very unhappy parents, and while Tzuyu finds Chaeyoung endearing, she must please her parents regardless.)_

         Tzuyu smiles at the memory. She wipes the fog that covered the mirror and she notices the ring she’s wearing on her right index finger.

         ( _Tzuyu’s private time in the library was interrupted with a hand with a ring on it. She looks up to see a smiling Chaeyoung, her self-sworn rival._

_“Hey, midterms are coming up. Do you wanna study together?” Tzuyu stares back, unimpressed. This doesn’t deter Chaeyoung though._

_It irritates Tzuyu so much that this girl just breezes to the top of the class even with so much extra-curricular activities, while Tzuyu needs to sacrifice her whole being just to have top scores in her exams. She doesn’t understand how one can do that._

  _“Or maybe you’re not up for it.” Chaeyoung, still smiling, leaves the ring on top of her open Geology book. “Maybe you don’t need it. You’re smart.”_

_“You can say the same to yourself.” Tzuyu whispers, and the cub chuckles._

_“Just making excuses to spend time with you, I guess.” She tilts her head. “It seems like you don’t like me that much.”_

_“No, I like you.” Tzuyu speaks before thinking. “But my parents don’t.”_

_“Why? I’m not a bad girl? They even say I’m a good study bud-”_

_“Because you’re better than me.” Silence. Tzuyu returns to her book, ignoring the shining ring still resting on top of It. Tzuyu basks in silence again, thinking that the older girl has left._

_“Eh?” Or not. “And you agree?” Tzuyu looks up again, sees the same expression Chaeyoung had a while ago, head tilted like a puppy. She contemplates, not sure if she agrees or not._

_“I don’t think you do.” Chaeyoung answers for her. “The concept of being better is so overrated anyway.” That gets Tzuyu’s attention._

_“How so?” She questions with raised eyebrows._

_“You’re much more mature than I am despite you being younger. You’re good at self-control, you don’t let emotions get to you, yada yada yada. Doesn’t that make you better than me in that case?_

_People have different strengths, you know. You can’t measure the greatness of a chimp, a fish, and horse by making them climb a tree. It’s chimp’s territory, and that doesn’t make the fish nor the horse stupid. We can’t tell our English teacher that she’s a dumbass if she can’t answer a Physics question immediately.” Chaeyoung paused seeing Tzuyu not batting an eye. “I’ve said so much you might’ve been annoyed. I’ve got softball practice, so I gotta go. See you tomorrow!” She bows and leaves before Tzuyu can answer._

_She looks back at the ring and notices the note now attached to it (When did Chaeyoung placed that?). She examines the ring; a simple metal band with her name carved on it. She then looks at the note._

_“Wear this at your right index finger. It should fit you.”_

  _The smile that grazes her lips is a genuine one. She wears the ring on her right index finger, and it does fit. It’s odd how Chaeyoung knew it’d fit._

_But then, it’s Chaeyoung. Everything about her is odd, even making friends._

_(Tzuyu doesn’t regret accepting Chaeyoung’s “proposal of friendship”. She later goes home after their midterm results released, ready for her parents’ lecture about her being second behind an odd girl. But she’ll get the surprise of her life when her parents congratulate her for making a friend and doing her best. It’s odd how her parents knew of her and Chaeyoung becoming friends, but it’s Chaeyoung.))_

         The door opening snaps her back to reality, and she sees Yewon walking towards her. She lets go of the mirror to face her, not knowing what to expect.

         “Tzuyu-ssi,” Yewon’s voice was surprisingly soft compared to her uproar a while ago. “About earlier, with the-“

         “It’s fine.” Tzuyu cuts her off, not rudely, but with a tone of resignation that Yewon seemed to notice.

         “No, it’s not fine. You didn’t deserve that.” Yewon sighs. “If there’s somebody in our class that’s the most devastated, I figured it’d be you.” Tzuyu stays silent, not refuting nor affirming Yewon’s words. She just stood there, touching the precious metal band Chaeyoung gave her. Suddenly, Yewon grabs her to a hug, and Tzuyu stiffens.

         “We’re sorry. We’re truly sorry.” Despite the height difference, Yewon makes sure Tzuyu leans to her embrace, which she does.

         All the tears Tzuyu held back during the morning just went out of her eyes and she lets it.

* * *

         Momo walks with Nayeon home since softball practices are cancelled. Neither one wanted to talk about what happened, so they opted to walk in silence. It’s 4pm and the streets weren’t that busy yet, so they decided to walk along the longest road towards Nayeon’s place.

         “I called Jeongyeon.” Momo decides to break the ice after passing by their favorite ice cream shop. “She answered. But …. there was nothing, only breathing.” She steps closer to Nayeon, who had head hung low while eating her ice cream.

         “Let her be for a while. I assume she needs space.” _And so do I._ Nayeon subtly steps away from Momo, if only a little bit, afraid that her heart would combust with her being millimeters apart from her. She adjusts her big-framed glasses, a feeble attempt to cover up her blush. She slowly shakes her head to avoid Momo noticing.

          _Chaeyoung’s missing and now is not the time to think about my feelings with my best friend._

She looks at Momo who’s slowly licking her ice cream, then looks away, suddenly flustered.

         “I can’t help but worry. Chaeyoung’s like a little sister to her and this suddenly happens.” Momo whispers. “You’re like that to me, too, Nabongs. And I can’t afford to lose you.”

         “I’m older than you dimwit. I should be the one worrying.” Nayeon smacks her best friend, hiding her disappointment. _She considers me as a sister. Nothing more._ “Besides, I believe in Seungwan-unnie and the police. Sooner or later, I’m sure they’ll find her.” She sees Momo beam at her in her peripheral view and she unknowingly holds her breath. She subtly chokes when her hand is suddenly covered with Momo’s calloused ones (probably from softball and gym, but it’s still perfect, but will not be hers).

         “I do hope so, Nabongs.” Momo lets go and runs ahead of her. “Race to your house! Loser will eat spicy chicken skewers.” And she’s off before she even finishes her sentence. Nayeon can only release a sigh of relief.

          _She’s gonna be the death of me._

         She then inhales deeply,

         ***

         and she gasps, taking in mouthfuls of air. Disoriented, she sits up and looks around to see where she was.

         She’s lying in the middle of downtown Seoul, wearing her uniform and varsity jacket from yesterday.

         Confused, she stands up and makes her way to the sidewalk, avoiding cars and people. She then stops in front of a chicken store and checks the clock by the window.

          _Tuesday, 4:17pm_

She starts walking home, the only reasonable option she has, when she realizes she doesn’t know downtown Seoul that well. And she doesn’t even know how she got here.

          _What did I do last night?_

She racks her brain of any reason why she’s almost an hour away from their home, but all she can remember is walking home with her no-jam _hyung_ , and a text from her _unnie_ that she won’t be home until late at night.

          _Then what?_

         Checking her phone, she panics when she feels nothing; her phone and her wallet are not with her and judging from how unfamiliar she is with the place she’s in, she’d say she’d have to take a bus or a cab to get home.

          _Now how would I contact anybody._

         “Excuse me.” She tries asking a passerby for help, but she was ignored. _Rude_.

         But the more she asks, the more she realizes that everybody’s ignoring her. She looks at the glass that shows display mannequins and–            

         She finds no reflection of herself.

         She blinks and goes near the glass, only to pass through it.

          _Oh my god. Am I dead?_ She goes back out of the store through the window, and suddenly people pass through her. Panicking, she runs to a corner and sits, clasping her ears.

          _I am Son Chaeyoung, yes. I’m currently studying in Seoul Integrated High School, in class 1-A. Yes, I remember that._

She looks at her hands to see nothing unusual. She leans back, and she suddenly sees the dark ceiling inside the bistro she sat outside of. She sits up and basks in the sights of busy downtown Seoul. She grabs her hair and shouts a cry of frustration.

          _This is so not happening!_

 


	3. 2

                (Nayeon dreams of the sun and moon again, this time, with no blood. But she sees herself in it. Unknowingly, she clutches the silver sword necklace her father gave her when she sees a girl. Said girl is wearing a glowing ring on her right index finger. Then there was brightness.

                She wakes up in sweat, with her digital clock reading 2:29am, really clutching her necklace.)

                “You look like shit, Nayeon.” Jennie, her seatmate in their music class with the sophomores, whistled, looking over Nayeon once who was slumped in her seat.

                “Not much sleep. Kept waking up, every hour.” She slurs, fighting her urge to just close her eyes and drift away. She hears Jennie walk away and sighs. Jennie’s uncharacteristically silent, but it might be because her seatmate’s not there to entertain her.

                Jeongyeon’s still not here.

                Nayeon bumps her head on the table, groaning when her eyes suddenly stung.

                Stupid dreams. Stupid nightmares. Ugh.

                “Nayeon-sunbaenim…?” A squeak on her left wakes her a little bit. She leans a bit and sees Kim Dahyun, her favorite sophomore, looking at her. “Are you okay?”

                “I’ll live.” She can only croak. “And really? Sunbaenim?” Despite being so tired, she manages to throw a playful look at the shy sophomore.

                “Sorry, unnie, habits die hard.” Dahyun chuckles before frowning. “But seriously unnie, you look like you’re gonna kiss the floor anytime soon.” She looks around. They still have 15 minutes to spare and their music teacher is always late. “You can lie down at the desk behind me and I’ll cover you up, Jennie-sunbae too. You really need some shut-eye.” Dahyun stands up to let Nayeon pass, which the older girl appreciates.

                “Thanks, Dubu. Wake me up when Teacher Lee comes.” She falls asleep even before she lays her head on her arms.

                Dahyun didn’t bother waking her up, nor did Jennie who sat beside the sophomore. Their teacher didn’t mind anyway.

                Chaeyoung reaches their neighborhood after hours of walking and “riding” public transport (if she considers passing through the doors of the busses and trains she rode as riding). After many attempts of getting the attention of anybody that comes her way, she gave up and tried to navigate her way towards their district, hoping that somehow somebody can see her there.

                She trudges towards the district park and sighs. The possibility of her being dead lingers her minds she tries to shake it off. She goes to a nearby bench to sit, only for her to plop on grass.

                Right. She thinks. I’m a ghost. Seeing herself through the bench makes her teary but she holds her tears.

                Now is not the time to cry. She stands up and looks at the sky, sighing. But what am I gonna do?

                Nayeon slams the classroom door and all the students shift their attention to her with blinking eyes. She enters the room with her head down while breathing hard. Luckily, their Japanese teacher isn’t there yet. She sits beside Momo at the back of the room.

                “Well, you look like shit.” Momo comments. She and Momo took Japanese together despite Momo’s proficiency on the language given her nationality. But decided to come with Nayeon anyway.

                (“Well, I’m in Nihonggo. I get it if you choose another language instead.” Nayeon says, observing Momo while she looks up the language catalog. The juniors get to pick a language to study until their senior year. “Jihyo and Sana already picked French, and Jeongyeon, dear goodness, chose German. I don’t get why she did.”

                “If you want Nabongs, I’ll join you in Nihonggo class.” Momo smiles at her. “I might’ve forgotten my first language anyway, with how long I’ve been here in Seoul.”)

                “Well, thanks Moguri. You’re not the only one who thinks that.” She mumbles, clutching her head. “Can’t believe Dubu didn't wake me up. I slept through the whole music period.”

                “Well, you can sleep through Nihonggo too. It looks like you need it.” Momo pats her hair, and she shakes her head, refusing to do so. She sits up straight and gets her notebook when their teacher entered.

                Without further ado, their teacher started their lesson. Nayeon’s mind, however, was elsewhere.

                It’s the second day Chaeyoung’s been missing and the student body hasn’t heard anything from the case, nor had Nayeon and the others heard from both Seungwan and Jeongyeon. The faculty’s being silent too, and Nayeon doesn’t want to think of any possibility that the small freshman wouldn’t be found anymore. It’s making her antsy every minute.

                She looks at Momo beside her who was absentmindedly fiddling with her pen, clearly not paying attention to anything.

                You’re like that to me, too, Nabongs. And I can’t afford to lose you.

                A spark in her inner self, and she blushes, remembering how sincere and loving Momo looked when she uttered her words yesterday. She looks away and focuses on the landscape outside instead, fearing that Momo would notice.

                The sun is blaring at 10 in the morning and Nayeon squints hard, the sunlight reflecting on her glasses. Looking down, she watches Dahyun and the one she calls Eunbi Jr. (“It’s SinB, sunbaenim!”) race on the track with hurdles, with Dahyun obviously leading. She smiles along the sophomore class when Dahyun slows down and reaches the finish line the boys are holding. She chuckles internally when Eunbi Jr. follows and jumps on Dahyun’s back, seemingly shouting “Nice one, Dubu!” while at it.

                (It was junior year and it was that time of the year where club officers are trying to convince young freshmen to join them. Nayeon, being a part of the drama club, wandered around the campus to place posters and sign-up lists on every bulletin board she sees. She passes by the gym bulletin board when she hears a loud crash and several jeering voices. Figuring that the noises came from the locker areas, she decides to peek at the window of the locker doors to spot some seniors crowding on a student.

                A freshman girl, obviously with a green necktie and an id card lying near where the commotion is.

                “You think high school’s fun, pale face? Here’s a slap of reality!” One of the guys says, throwing a dodgeball on the poor girl that was lying on the floor. Her head was down, so Nayeon couldn’t see her face.

                Aggravated, Nayeon snaps a few photos and silently runs to the ball lockers and grabbed some tennis balls. She places the balls carefully on the floor near the entrance of the lockers and sends a quick message to then-senior peacekeeper Jung Soojung and freshman representative Lalisa Manoban. The moment she receives Soojung’s “I’ll be there.”, she slams her hand on the doors, alarming the people inside.

                She sits by the corner silently and watches how the panicky bullies pushes the door open and tumbles on the tennis balls. With the boys down, Nayeon sees the crying freshman dash out of the lockers and out of the gym room. Fast.

                Before Nayeon snaps out of her daze, the gym doors open to see a fuming Soojung followed by a teacher, Lalisa, and then-council president Bae Suji.

                Avoiding the seniors, she enters the room to pick the necktie and id up, and quietly sneaks out of the gym room. Her phone vibrates, probably a thank you message from Soojung. Walking past the bulletin boards, she sees a paper for the track and field tryouts with not a name written. Her mind wanders back to the speedy freshman and check her id.

                Kim Dahyun. 1-C.

                Later, she spots Shiah and Yook Sungjae in front of the track field. Giving Sungjae a bow of respect, she excuses her classmate from him, with Sungjae nodding before heading off somewhere.

                “YooA, my girl,” Nayeon casually slings her arm on Shiah’s shoulders. “I heard a certain Kim Dahyun from 1-C is a fast runner.”

                (Nayeon discovers sooner that the seniors bullying Dahyun gets suspended, and Dahyun is a very awkward cutie who just wanted to have friends. Shiah treats Nayeon and Dahyun ice cream after the tryouts, with Shiah being extra sweet to her (a gesture of thanks, Nayeon thinks). Dahyun remains as her favorite dongsaeng from her batch.))

                “Miss Im.” A gruff voice from the front of the classroom snaps her out of her memory lane. She looks quickly, cursing inwardly when she felt a bone crack.  “Good to know you’re still with us.” The class laughs, and she ducks her head in embarrassment. “Now, can you tell me the word for this?” Her teacher asks in Japanese and snaps her stick and points to a poorly-drawn moon.

                “Tsuki.” Nayeon answers quickly, and she’s reminded of why she’s having a bad day today.

                After reprimanding her of her daydreaming, the teacher lets Nayeon sit.

                “You don’t daydream in class.” Momo quips. “Are you really okay?”

                “Don’t worry about me, Momoring. Listen, Miss Choi might call you next.” Momo hears finality in Nayeon’s words and she lets it go, paying attention to class agian. Nayeon closes her eyes and sigh

                The sun and the moon are suddenly joining together. A black sword and a white blade. A glowing ring. A necklace.

                Nayeon promptly opens her eyes and her left hand clutches her uniform’s collar where the necklace her dad gave her was underneath. She furrows her eyebrows in confusion, then shakes her head. She starts doodling in her notebook to distract herself, but without letting go of her necklace.

                Just what is this all about?

                (She fails to notice Momo glancing at her, a frown marring her face.)

                She doesn’t know where she is exactly, but Chaeyoung knows she’s somewhere in the middle of the district. Discovering the perks of being a ghost (she cringes, she’s still not used to it) such as never-ending stamina and not needing to eat, she continues to wander in search of anything that can help her in her state.

                I don’t even know what kind of help I need.

                A few more steps and she sees herself in front of a pretty-looking building with the signage “IM’S SPIRIT SERVICES”.

                (“Hyung, what’s with them?” She asked Jeongyeon once during lunch when snickers from some girls not in Nayeon’s class were heard when Nayeon passed by them to go sit with Momo and Sana.

                “Hmm? Oh, don’t mind them.” Jeongyeon answers, not even bothering lifting her head up from her food. “They’re just stupid girls from 4-C trying to make fun of Nayeon’s family background.” Assuming Chaeyoung being confused due to the lack of response, Jeongyeon puts her chopsticks down.

                “You see, the Ims are known in the area for being “spiritists”, mediums to be more specific.” Jeongyeon tells Chaeyoung with hand gestures. “Nayeon’s not really fond of it, that’s why she, who was once close with her sister Yoona-unnie, isn’t in good terms with her now, especially after their brother disappeared.” Chaeyoung hums in understanding.

                “I’ve read about those stuff once. They say there are two kinds of spiritists, the mediums who are of the light, and the other one, I forget, who are of the dark. They seemingly harness spiritual powers to interact and deal with the spirit world, and so on.”

                “Do you believe such things, Chaeng?’ Jeongyeon asks with an amused smile in her face. Chaeyoung shrugs.

                “If Nayeon-sunbae doesn’t, and that’s coming from somebody in a family who does the spirit stuff, then why would I believe?”)

                Now, Chaeyoung isn’t sure if she doesn’t believe it anymore.

                She wakes up from her stupor when some random dog starts barking at her. In a panic, she tries shushing the dog, only for her hand to pass through the suddenly terrified dog.

                “No doggy! I can’t even hurt a fly, I won’t hurt you.” She steps forward, and the dog steps back, still barking.

                “What’s with the crazy dog barking at nothing?” A man passing by suddenly said and Chaeyoung freezes.

                Right. Ghost self.

                The dog suddenly snarls at her and she runs for the door to the Ims–

                Only for something to fling her away from the building. What…?

                The dog, frightened with the sudden movement, runs away whimpering with Chaeyoung looking on. She turns her head back to the building and sighs.

                So much for spirit services.

                “Is it me? Or Nayeon-unnie looks like shit?”

                “Language, Sana!”

                “Well, as her best friend, I speak on her behalf. She wants to thank you for your comment and you’re not the only one who thinks such.”

                A slap, a groan, and soft chuckles followed. It was lunch time and even though they had little appetite, Jihyo, Sana, Momo, and Nayeon decided to sit in the cafeteria.

                “Wow Momo, two rolls of gimbap. That’s saying much.” Sana jokes, earning a sigh from Momo.

                “Mom wants me to eat even though I lack the appetite. You can have the other one if you want.” Seeing how Momo’s appetite is affected, Jihyo and Sana sigh. They started eating a little bit in silence, except for Nayeon who has her head on the table.

                “Jihyo, why do you have an extra pink necktie?” Sana points at the necktie hanging loosely on Jihyo’s bag. “You’re a clean kid, you don’t need an extra necktie.”

                “It’s Jeongyeon’s,” Momo chokes, “and Jennie-sunbae handed it to me. She says she might’ve switched with Jeongyeon during softball practice and she only noticed it today when Dahyun told her “you look like a junior student today, sunbaenim” during music class. Funny how she can be clumsy sometimes.”

                “How would you return it?” Nayeon suddenly quips, now sitting up while fixing her glasses. “I don’t think she’s coming back anytime soon.”

                “I don’t know, unnie.” Jihyo sighs. “Honestly, nobody knows anything. There are no updates about Chaeyoung, and nobody’s saying anything.” She wipes a tear that drops from her eyes. “I’m scared.”

                “Please don’t cry, Jihyo.” Sana hugs her. “Everybody is worried. Even Mina, I’m pretty sure, she looks out of it the whole morning even though she tries to hide it. Even Tzuyu! Look at her over there.” They all whip their heads to where Sana is looking at.

                Tzuyu is seated at the corner of the cafeteria, staring at nothing. There’s another girl with a yellow necktie sitting next to her, throwing worried glances at the freshman.

                “Dahyun? Since when were they friends?” Momo asks, her eyebrows furrowed.

                “What? You don’t know? They’re called the “School Meal Club” by the freshmen and sophomores. Well, I don’t know why, but all I know is that both are good friends with Chaeyoung, and cub decided to introduce them to each other. So there, but they’re still awkward, until now I guess.” Sana shrugs

                “Really? Chou? I thought she’s somewhat of an anti-social? Heard Chaeyoung took top 1 spot from her last trimester. Maybe that’s why.”

                “No.” Jihyo interrupts. “Tzuyu’s parents are strict when it comes to rankings. Trust me, I shivered in fear when I met them during freshman orientation. Chaeyoung’s just really good with people, even she herself doesn’t know that.” And there’s silence.

                They continue to observe the two kids until they hear a groan from Nayeon.

                “Now, unnie, when I told you that you look like shit, I mean it.” Sana frowns.

                “Hey it’s fine. Just from lack of sleep, really.” For days because of the stupid nightmares, she wanted to say but stopped herself, not wanting to look like a whimpering kid.

                “Do you want me to talk to Sojung-sunbae? She can write up an excuse slip for you to go sleep in the infirmary since she’s your class president.” Jihyo offered, obviously worried from the lack of sass Nayeon usually has when Sana doesn’t have her filter.

                “I’d do that, Nayeon-ssi.” A voice suddenly quips behind Nayeon. “YooA told me about you sleeping during music class, and if it weren’t you, you would’ve been sent to detention immediately.” A hand touches her shoulders, probably Sojung Nayeon thinks. “But even if you’re the type of person who would forget her glasses purposely,” a snicker from Momo, “you don’t sleep at class. At all.”

                A paper was inserted between her fingers and Nayeon reads it. A pass from class. Nayeon looks up in gratefulness, her tired eyes showing.

                “Thanks, Sowon, and tell YooA my thanks too.” She stands up and gets her book, but before she heads to the infirmary, Momo grabs her wrist.

                “Look Nabongs. We’re all worried about Chaeyoung and all that. But please, don’t risk your health to much.” She looks at Momo in the eye and her knees buckle, seeing the overflowing worry that Momo has.

                “I-It’s n-not that.” She stutters and gently pry Momo’s hand off her (albeit hesitatingly). “Look, it’s just nothing, ‘kay? Don’t mind me. See you later, I guess.” Momo glares at her. "Okay, okay. I'll be careful." She then lets go and smiles at her, Nayeon sighs internally. I really need to get my bearings straight with Momo. She walks away, tapping Sojung’s shoulders before heading out the cafeteria wobbly.

                It might’ve been her imagination, but she swore she heard Sana say “whipped”.

                After that unfortunate run-in near the Ims’ residence, Chaeyoung wandered more and found herself standing in front of her school gates. With nothing better to do, she enters.

                At a span of an hour, she learned how to float in the hard way (Chaeyoung thought she would be flying away from earth earlier), and she aimlessly floats around the campus, from the courtyard down to the gardens behind the building. She couldn’t bear going up the classrooms yet since she might just break down without her peers seeing her.

                So, she decides to linger in the school gardens. The weird thing about her being a ghost is that she hasn’t encounter other ghosts yet, and it’s been almost two days.

                Maybe this is just a very, very, very realistic dream. She slaps herself but hurt herself in the process. Oww, okay, not a dream. She drops herself in the grass and closes her eyes.

                Is this some elaborate prank the heavens gave me? Why me? She sighs, letting her unshed tears flow since nobody would see her anyway.

                “Hey, classes started a while ago. Why are you lying in the grass?”

                Or not. Her eyes open wide immediately and she sits up. She panics, her back facing the one whose voice belongs to. Maybe, it’s not me who she’s talking to. She looks around with her eyes to see nobody.

                “Hey miss? Perhaps you have a pass? Or are you just outright cutting classes?” That voice. Chaeyoung slowly stands up, back still facing the person. She slowly turns around to see who it was.

                Nayeon stands there, a piece of paper in one hand and a book in the other, looking at her left with her tongue licing her lips. She’s annoyed. Chaeyoung panics, her mouth opening and closing like she’s a fish out of the pond.

                “Look, cutting classes is–“ Nayeon stops her mouth and her eyes widen when she sees Son Chaeyoung, gaping at her, wearing what looked like her uniform and varsity jacket that she wore the last time before she disappeared.

                “Su-sunbae,” Chaeyoung starts, but before she can say anything else, Nayeon explodes.

                “You git! Do you know how worried we are?!” Nayeon suddenly becomes livid, not with anger but with sudden happiness. Chaeyoung sees tears in her eyes, relief evident despite the animated hand gestures she did. Nayeon tries to grab her arm. “And I’ll just see you here in the garden! God, come on! We’ll–“

                Chaeyoung knew what would happen; Nayeon’s hand passed through her arm. Luckily, Nayeon was too busy rambling to see it. It doesn’t mean, however, that Chaeyoung isn’t confused.

                Nayeon-sunbae can see me!

                “Chaeyoung? Why? What’s wrong? Come on–“

                “You can see me, sunbae!” Chaeyoung’s voice quivered, with happiness, fear, or confusion, she doesn’t know. “How can you see me?!”

                “Chaeyoung…? What do you mean I can see you..?” Nayeon furrows her eyebrows. “Look, if this is a prank you and Jeong are in, I’m so gonna sue you. I’m texting the others.” That gets Chaeyoung more panicky.

                “No, sunbae–“

                “Unnie” Nayeon cuts her, holding her paper and book on one hand and getting her phone on the other

                “Uhh, unnie,” Chaeyoung corrects herself, “but that’s not the point! Why can you see me? You can’t tell anyone, please!” She tries to grab Nayeon’s phone but stops herself, afraid that she would just pass through Nayeon and in turn would make Nayeon scared out of her wits. Unfortunately, Nayeon’s a klutz.

                She trips over a tree trunk before she can get her phone.

                She flails pathetically, accidentally throwing her book and paper towards Chaeyoung. Nayeon’s eyes widen.

                “Chaeng look–“ the book goes through Chaeyoung and lands behind her. The slip of paper lands on where Chaeyoung is supposed to be standing.

                Great. Chaeyoung thinks to herself. Now it was Nayeon’s turn to look like a fish out of the pond.

                “Look, Nayeon-unnie, I don’t know what happened, but you can see me! Nobody can!” She tries to grab the paper, an excuse slip, but fails. “Uhh, I can’t really, um, touch anything. Unnie?” Chaeyoung sees Nayeon’s horrified face, and she makes a beeline for her favorite senior.

                “Unnie! Please don’t–“

                Nayeon screams, scared out of her wits.

                “–scream.” Chaeyoung can only sigh.

                Just great.


	4. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, I couldn't open ao3 for the past few days
> 
> This is chapter 3. My mistake.

 

_“Nayeon, why are you crying?”_

_She doesn’t answer, and Yoona doesn’t know what to do. Nayeon stays seated in the corner of their living room, hiding her face and hugging her knees_

_“Please don’t cry.” Yoona reaches out to pat her hair._

_“Don’t touch me!” 13-year-old Nayeon lashes out. “This is all your fault!” That seems to make Yoona stunned._

_“My classmates hate me because I’m in a family that makes money out of fooling people! And Jaebum-oppa’s gone!”_

_“You know we’re not fooling anyone, Nayeon. It’s in the family; this has been a family thing for decades.” Yoona dodges Nayeon’s latter concern, and tries to reach out again, only for Nayeon to step back._

_“Then what am I?” Nayeon laughs mirthlessly. “Unlike you and everyone else in this family, I don’t see nor feel all this spirit thing.” She wipes her tears harshly. “I didn’t get the family memo. Or are you all fooling me too? Is oppa with you, too?”_

_“No, Nayeon, please, you’re–“_

_“Stop this! This–this freakshow you’re doing! I don’t believe in any of this!” Nayeon lashes out, doesn’t notice the hurt that flashes Yoona’s face. “I wish I wasn’t in this family! Then my classmates won’t make fun of me!”_

_“You don’t mean that, Nayeon. You’ll understand soon when you’re older.”_

_“No! I will never understand! And I’m not a freak like you!” Nayeon rushes upstairs and slams her doors shut. Hearing her sister’s sob afterwards makes her regret her words a bit._

_(“But I’m not like them.” She would say to herself. “Spirits aren’t real.” She doesn’t apologize the next day, nor the following days, or years.)_

* * *

                To see is to believe, people say.

                But seeing the book just pass through Chaeyoung, Nayeon doesn’t know if she would believe it.

                She didn’t know how she ended up sitting in the grass gaping at Chaeyoung who is frantically fussing over her (without touching her, Nayeon notes). She might’ve fallen while screaming, she thinks. She continues to stare at Chaeyoung, not believing anything that had happened for the past few minutes.

                She was just supposed to take a short rest in the garden after going to the infirmary and taking some meds for her headache to mull over her dreams, but this had to happen.

                Chaeyoung, or some sort of apparition that looks like Chaeyoung, just had to be there.

                “That was some scream _unnie_ , are you okay?” Chaeyoung’s question went unanswered with Nayeon still gaping at her. “Look, _unnie_ , I know it’s hard to believe–“

                “This is just a dream.” Nayeon says to herself repeatedly.

                “No, _unnie_ , please–“ Nayeon slaps herself, still gaping at the freshman, and Chaeyoung groans. “I tried that. It doesn’t work.”

                Nayeon snaps her attention to the freshman that’s standing in front of her. Chaeyoung’s wearing the same outfit she had before disappearing. There were no visible injuries on her, no signs of dirt whatsoever. She doesn’t even smell. She looks at Chaeyoung’s face, the cub’s eyes looked tired, but her face doesn’t. She looks so ordinary, except for the fact that her book just passed through her.

                This might be some elaborate prank Jeongyeon has set up. Nayeon knows Jeongyeon’s into techie stuff, but this is on a whole new level, holograms and all.

                (She’s just denying the obvious, but she can just _believe_ in such things, can she?)

                “As I was about to say, I don’t–“ Chaeyoung gets cut off for the nth time.

                “Where’s Jeongyeon?” Nayeon suddenly asks, a hint of desperation in her voice. Chaeyoung doesn’t know what to think of it.

“I don’t know? Isn’t she supposed to be in class?”

“If this is some elaborate shit you’re pulling me, I’m having none of it!” Nayeon stands abruptly and heads towards the classrooms.

“Wait! No!” Chaeyoung follows with a groan. “ _Unnie_! Listen to me first!” Her pleas fall on deaf ears with Nayeon still brisk walking towards the art room where her class with the juniors is supposed to be.

* * *

All the lamp posts near the police station are now filled with missing posters. Jeongyeon just sighs, she hasn’t been in the central district yet.

She hasn’t slept since she woke up in a daze with Chaeyoung disappeared.

 _You were drugged, it wasn’t your fault_ , Seungwan said. Jeongyeon doesn’t remember a thing, but it wasn’t an excuse for what happened; in every view she sees it in, Chaeyoung was taken under her care. _What an irresponsible hyung_.

The police claim that they are doing everything to find Chaeyoung, alive as much as possible. But it’s been two days, and Jeongyeon seems to have her hope diminish slowly but surely.

She hopes Seungwan’s hopes aren’t diminished like hers.

She puts up another poster of Chaeyoung at the wall beside the restaurant she and Chaeyoung frequent in. A bell rings and she finds the restaurant owner looking at her. She bows in greeting, and the owner smiles.

“Jeongyeon-ah, let me take some copies from you. I’ll give it away to my customers.”

“Ah, Kyuhyun-oppa, no need to do it.”

“Please, it’s the least I can do to my favorite customers.” Kyuhyun offers a smile while taking half of the posters Jeongyeon has. She can only bow so low in thanks. “Chaeyoung will be fine, she’s a tiger we all know that.” Jeongyeon can only smile. It doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

_I do really hope so._

* * *

The door to the art room slams and Momo curses, her pencil slipping from her fingers, a crooked line suddenly in place instead of the straight line of the table in front of the room. She looks to give a glare at the offending person who thinks it’s a good idea to slam the door, only to find a frazzled Nayeon breathing hard, looking around the classroom.

“Miss Im, Sojung said you’re in the infirmary. Why are you suddenly here?” Their art teacher voices out her question for her. Nayeon seemed to snap out of her reverie and blinks at the teacher.

“Uhh,” Nayeon answers, eyes frantically moving. “I, uhh–The nurse, yeah, he gave me some meds for my headache and he said I’m good to go.” Nayeon smiles, and Momo notices that it’s forced. “I lost my note coming here.” She adds, and the teacher lets her in with a wary look. The teacher then goes out and Nayeon then carefully closes the door.

_What are you doing, Nabongs?_

“Psst, Nayeon, we told you to rest!” Sana hissed Momo’s unvoiced concerns. It seems like everybody’s saying what she means. “Why are you not in the infirmary?”

“I thought–“ Nayeon stops, thinking whether to tell the truth on why she's suddenly in their art class and not resting or just make up some make-believe excuse. “It’s stuffy there. Besides, I like art class.” Nayeon lies and grabs her sketchbook with shaking hands and gives frowning Momo a thankful glance for bringing her bag in. Thankfully, nobody pries any further. She takes a deep breath and calms herself down.

_Just my imagination. Yeah, that's just it, or Jeong down. It isn't funny._

“You like all classes that are not math.”

“Shut it, snake.” Sana dramatically clutches her chest in what looked like a fake hurt face.

“I’m not a snake!”

“Then choose, Tzuyu, Dahyun, Jeongyeon, others, or all of the above?” That earns a glare from Sana and a snicker from Park Sooyoung, the junior who’s sitting behind Nayeon. “Even Sooyoung agrees with me.”

“It’s Joy, _sunbae_.”

“If I call you Joy, then I have to call Eunbi Jr. SinB, and I don’t like the name SinB.”

“Then I won’t call you _unnie_.”

“Fine with me, Sooyoung.” Nayeon winks. Sooyoung pouts, then continues with her artwork with a smile.

“Are you flirting with a junior now, Nayeon- _unnie_?” Jihyo raises her eyebrows, not looking away from her sketchbook. “If you can flirt a classmate of mine _and_ sass Sana like that, then I’m convinced you’re fine.”

“I’ve been telling you a hundred times that I’m fine, and I don’t flirt. I’m loyal to my love Moguri.” Sana chokes, while Momo rolls her eyes.

“Sorry, I don’t hook up with best friends.” Momo says playfully, missing Sana’s snickers and Nayeon’s passing sad look.

“I’ll bite you.”

“Oooh, your bunny teeth scare me.”

The teacher comes back, and the class shuts up and continues their works.

“Aw, you got rejected. Best friends forever.” Sana teased. Nayeon pinches her side hard and she yelps, standing up.

“Miss Minatozaki. Anything wrong?” The people around her snickers at her predicament.

“Uhm, no, just stretching, yeah.”

“Do your stretching at gym class, not now. Sit down and finish your work.” Sana sits down tries to glare at Nayeon, only to falter at the sight of a fearful Nayeon, who suddenly had her attention at the door.

“ _Unnie_ , what’s wrong?” Nayeon snaps out of her reverie.

“Ah, no, nothing, you scare me.” Nayeon fake shudders, and Sana glares at her, believing her.

Nayeon, on the other hand, looks back at the door and sees what made her fearful; a moving hand stuck out of the door. She subtly looks at the class, only to see that nobody has noticed the hand. She looks back and sees Chaeyoung entering the room _through_ the door.

Through. The. Door.

Chaeyoung falls flat on her face and Nayeon can’t help but snort. Thankfully no one noticed, so Nayeon tried to distract herself.

Keyword: tried.

She remembers why she rushed to her art class with the juniors (she forgot Jeongyeon’s still absent). She peeks to see Chaeyoung looking around and she ducks.

_I hope she doesn’t see me. I hope she doesn’t see me. I hope–_

“Nayeon- _unnie_.”

 _FUCK_.

Nayeon ignores Chaeyoung, who rushed to Nayeon’s seat while avoiding other students (she might be a ghost, but she values personal space). Nayeon’s leg starts tremble in fear when Chaeyoung stands in front of her. Her sweat drips on her sketchbook.

_Chaeyoung’s not here. She’s not a–_

“I’m a ghost, _unnie_ , if you didn’t know by now.” Chaeyoung squats in front of Nayeon, who’s trying her best to ignore the younger girl.

_She’s not there. She’s not there._

“Can you still see me?” Chaeyoung waves her hand in between Nayeon’s face and her sketchbook. Nayeon tries her very best not to flinch, nor show any indication of her being able to see or hear her.

“I guess you can’t.” Nayeon hears the resignation in Chaeyoung’s voice and her heart clenches, feeling a bit guilty of ignoring her. Chaeyoung stands up and looks around the art room with sadness in her eyes, Nayeon subtly looks at her.

_So, it’s true, Chaeyoung’s a–_

“Hey, dude, Nabongs If you want to pee, just raise your hand.” Momo whispers suddenly, gesturing at Nayeon’s still-shaking legs.

“Uhh, I’m n–uhh. Teacher Kim’s scary.” Nayeon decides to go with Momo’s idea. Chaeyoung finds herself chuckling.

“Taeyeon- _sunbae_ ’s not really scary. She just doesn’t smile when there’s no reason to. But she really is a softie.” She says to herself, still standing at the middle of the class while looking at her art teacher with fondness.

“You say that because you’re her favorite freshman.” Nayeon quips without thinking. Chaeyoung’s head snaps to her direction.

“What?” ”Eh?” Momo and Chaeyoung says at the same time.

“Who are you talking to?” Momo furrows her eyebrows, and Nayeon panics. She sees Chaeyoung looking at her with wide, accusing eyes.

“You lie!” Chaeyoung rushes back in front of Nayeon, who has her eyes everywhere but the ghost in front of her. “You can see me! I knew it!” Her legs shake more in fear and panic.

“Nabongs?” She stands abruptly and raises her hand very high.

“I want to pee, Miss Kim!”

(Everybody snickers, even the ever-passive Myoui Mina tried to hold her laughter. Tried.)

* * *

“I want to pee, Miss Kim! That was so great! You looked like an elementary student.” Chaeyoung’s laughter rang through the hallway (it doesn’t, only Nayeon hears her but Nayeon denies it, still). She follows a brooding Nayeon to the girls’ bathroom, only to have a door slammed at her. She sighs and goes through the door.

 _This is fun, but I don’t really want this for the rest of my life_.

“Look, _unnie_ , you know that doesn’t work. And I’m sorry about the teasing, it’s really funny.” She enters the bathroom and Nayeon locks the door, puzzling her. “What’s with the–“

“Okay, okay, you’re a ghost.” Nayeon says to herself, seeing Chaeyoung’s lack of reflection in the mirrors. Chaeyoung rolls her eyes.

“Gee, newsflash.”

“Shut your mouth, dwarf.” Nayeon paces in front of the sinks. “No, actually, don’t shut your mouth and tell me what’s going on.” She stops and looks at Chaeyoung’s eyes. A flash, and Nayeon suddenly gets a headache. _What…?_

“To be honest, I’m in the same boat as you. I don’t remember anything that happened before I woke up in the middle of Seoul.” Chaeyoung sighs and looks at the mirror with none of her reflection in it. “I remember Mina- _sunbae_ rejecting me though and going home with Jeong- _hyung_ , so I don’t think I have some sort of amnesia. Speaking of people, where is _hyung_?”

“She didn’t go to school for the past days you were missing. And in the middle of Seoul? What would you be doing there?” Nayeon ignores the creeping feeling she has behind her head and starts wiping her eyeglasses. “Gee, does being a ghost equip you with a fog machine? It’s too foggy here.”

“You should know that, you’re the one with a spiritist family.” Chaeyoung answers with sass, crossing her arms, which makes Nayeon snap.

“I'm not into these things! I don’t even believe any of it! And then you come along! A ghost, Chaeyoung! Fuck, you’re a ghost! You’re the embodiment of the very thing I detest, everything I deny! And you're there! And you’re actually calm about this?!”

“I’m actually not calm about this?!" Chaeyoung riles up, tears in her eyes. "I had panic attacks coming here! You don’t know what I’ve been through nor what I feel!” Nayeon stops and looks at the younger with guilty eyes, but Chaeyoung continues with her arms raised.

“I’m constantly plagued with thoughts of me being dead. Dead! I cannot die yet, _unnie_ , I’m just a freshman! I want to do so many things and now I’m stuck like this! I don’t even know what happened to me, nor where my body is! Am I just gonna be like this forever? I don’t want that!

“I roamed everywhere I can can think of going to, desperately trying to look for somebody, anybody to help me, but no one can see me! I felt so lost and desperate! And then you can see me, you’re the only one who can! I need you to help me please!” Chaeyoung stops, still looking at Nayeon with teary eyes (Nayeon notes the lack of movement in Chaeyoung's chest area. _No breathing at all.)_.

A knock on the bathroom door gets their attention.

“Nabongs, hey, you in here? I brought your bag, art’s over.” Nayeon swallows hard and looks at Chaeyoung’s pleading eyes and the door. Her headache now back with a full force and she ignores it.

“ _Unnie_ , please. I know you don’t believe this, neither do I, but please!” Nayeon fiddles with her hands as she contemplates on what to do, her nervous eyes dart from the door to the younger girl in front of her and back.

_I don’t believe in any of this!_

“I’m coming! Thanks, Moguri!” Nayeon abruptly turns around and washes her hands quickly. She rushes towards the door, ignoring a protesting Chaeyoung. Now alone in the girls’ bathroom, Chaeyoung sighs and sits on the floor. She looks up the ceiling and cries in frustration.

* * *

“What’s up at the bathroom? I heard you shouting at–“

“Not now, Momo, it’s nothing.” Nayeon takes the bottle of aspirin she took from the infirmary from her and gulps a couple of pills with water. It doesn’t alleviate the pounding headache she has, however.

“You look worse, are you sure–“

“I said I’m fine!” Nayeon lashes, surprising herself and Momo. “I’m sorry, I–“

“Fine. Have it your way.” A brooding Momo walks away from her and she sighs, rubbing her temples harshly.

 _Great. She’s gonna ignore you for days, that’s for sure._ She groans.

She trudges towards their homeroom, dreading her trigonometry class. _Just one more class, Nabongs, you can do this_.

* * *

The bell rings and Yoona looks up from the counter with a smile, only for that smile to turn into a surprised look.

“Welco– What are you doing here? What can I help you with this time?” She says to her visitor, gesturing her to come in the storeroom.

The Im’s storeroom is loaded with different tools and equipment used for dealing with spirits. Most of them are harmless, only leading a spirit to a good place. The other tools are those that Yoona hopes to not touch at all during her life. Those tools are also used to fight against evil spiritists.

Berserkers, for the most part.

Yoona highly hopes that she won’t touch those weapons for her entire life.

“ _Sunbae_ ,” her guest’s voice gets her attention. The guest gives her a box that Yoona has only seen once in her life, and on top of the box is an orb attached to it, glowing gold. She pales. _No way_.

“The orb. It’s time. The prophecy will be fulfilled.”


	5. 4

 

* * *

_There was blood everywhere she looks, and people in chains. She looks up and the sun and moon are there, but this time, they’re far away from each other. She finds herself holding a white sword covered in black blood, but she doesn’t know what kind of creatures, or people, she’s been fighting._

_A shout, and she finds herself clashing blades with another person. She glances at her reflection once, meeting gold eyes. She pushes her assailant away, and she swing her sword, ready to attack and defend._

_Her attacker points her black sword towards her, glaring with her silver eyes. The ground shakes._

                And Nayeon wakes up violently, sitting up, cold sweats dripping from her face down to her collarbones. She looks at the time. _4:58am_. And she groans, grabbing her necklace from her neck and runs her thumb on it. It’s silver, like the cold eyes she’s seen in her dream, and its shape looked like what she was holding. She shakes her head, dismissing such details as coincidence.

                _My weird dreams, me suddenly seeing ghosts, Chaeyoung of all people, and now this headache. I must be getting karma after all these years of being indifferent with my family._

                She lies back in bed and groans. Her headache from yesterday didn’t go away and even got worse. She contemplates on whether she should go to school or not.

                She remembers Chaeyoung and decides to go to school to look for her.

                _I just have to help her. I shouldn’t be selfish just because I don’t believe such things._

                She stands up and wobbles, grabbing her head in pain. She leans at her bed’s headboard for support.

                _That is, if I could survive the day with this headache I have_.

                She remembers yesterday’s events with her suddenly seeing Chaeyoung as a ghost, and the flash that she saw when she looked at Chaeyoung. She also remembers snapping at a concerned Momo. She sighs.

                _What’s up with me, anyway?_

* * *

                Chaeyoung finds Jeongyeon seated at the wall beside their favorite restaurant early in the morning, sleeping. Chaeyoung glances around to see multiple posters of her missing. She looks back at Jeongyeon when she hears her yawn.

                “ _Hyung_.” Chaeyoung tries when she sees her half-sister stand up and stretch. “ _Hyung_ , please don’t torture yourself like this.” No response. “I don’t like seeing you like this.” Jeongyeon walks through her. She follows.

                Jeongyeon walks through the neighborhood to the police station with Chaeyoung following her. Before entering after Jeongyeon, she overhears a conversation.

                “The Son kidnapping case is still ongoing and hopes are not too high.”

                “Yeah, we got no lead. The Yoo kid isn’t useful too, heard she’s heavily drugged that night.”

                “Whoever planned this is a genius. I don’t know dude, but I’d like to tell miss Wendy to just drop this and accept the fact that she might never see her sister again.”

                Chaeyoung’s heart constricts. _They might never see me again. I might be dead by now._ She snaps out of her thoughts when she sees Jeongyeon going out of the police station. Wordlessly, Chaeyoung follows a dazed Jeongyeon. They walk in silence until Chaeyoung speaks.

                “Jeongyeon _­_ - _unnie_ , heh, haven’t called you that in a while.” Silence. “I know you can’t hear me, I wish you could, but hopes are not too high.” Chaeyoung chuckels mirthlessly. She follows her lethargic sister to their house, narrowly avoiding Jeongyeon’s shoes as the older girl throws it aimlessly when she went through the door. She watches as her half-sister plops in the sofa with a dead look in her eyes.

                “This is my fault.” Jeongyeon mumbles. “If only I could remember what happened that night, ugh this really sucks.” She ruffles her blond hair hard and holds her head afterwards. “I’m so irresponsible. I wish I brought her somewhere else rather than staying at home.” Chaeyoung sees tears falling on the floor.

                “Hey, this is not your fault, don’t blame yourself, please.” Chaeyoung tries to console her sister with a pat in the arm, but her hand just passes through and flickers. _Damn_.

                “Chaeyoung must’ve hate me by now, leaving her on her own.”

                “Hey, no I don’t! Snap out of this, _unnie_ please.” Chaeyoung’s voice edges to desperation.

                “Seungwan- _unnie_ , too.” Jeongyeon’s broken whispers hurt Chaeyoung more and more. She sits in front of her oblivious sister, tears in her eyes.

                “Don’t say this, please. Don’t do this to yourself.” She tries holding Jeongyeon again, with her hand still passing through.

                The two sisters cry; one in self-blame, one in desperation.

_Heavens help me please._

* * *

                “Hey, you’re early.” Jihyo comments as she sits down beside Nayeon who had her head on the desk. “Are you early just to sleep through trigonometry?”

                “I’m not a genius in maths like you and Miss Myoui who always sits in front.” Nayeon answers, muffled by her arm underneath her head. “It’s pretty insulting you know. I barely pass my maths and here you are, a junior, having senior maths.” Jihyo snorts.

                “Don’t pull that card on me, _unnie_ , you know you’re an intelligent student. We just have our own strengths, I guess.” Jihyo carefully puts her book on their shared desk to avoid disturbing Nayeon. “Why are you early anyway?”

                “Looking for somebody but she’s not here yet.”

                “Momo?” _No, Chaeyoung_ , she wanted to say, but stopped herself. She hasn’t told (nor will she ever tell) anyone about what happened yesterday. She reels back when Momo’s name was mentioned, and it gets her attention. She sits up and looks at Jihyo with raised eyebrows.

                “Woah, you look worse than yesterday.” Jihyo whispers and she glares, telling Jihyo to _just drop it_. Thankfully, Jihyo gets it “Uhh, well, when Momo was back in gym after returning your bag, she was sulking. Your glasses are askew, lemme fix it.” Nayeon sighs as she lets Jihyo fix her specs on her face.

                “We had a misunderstanding. Uhh, I wanted to talk her this morning about it.” _Lies_. She didn’t even want to face Momo yet. But she has to have an excuse. _Telling them about Chaeyoung isn't a very good idea_ , she thinks.

                “Well, good luck about that. Momo’s actually earlier than you. So, you not seeing her says a lot of things.” Their teacher enters and Jihyo looks in front, leaving a frowning Nayeon in a daze.

                _Damn, she doesn’t want to see me._ Nayeon’s frown deepens. _I shouldn’t think about it now, Chaeyoung’s pretty much a priority. Where is she anyway?_

                “Open your textbooks on the previous page and answer all numbers.” And the class begins.

                Nayeon opens her textbook and fiddles with her pen absentmindedly. She looks at the board and at her classmates who are all busy doing their class work.

                It’s the third day of Chaeyoung’s disappearance and almost all students had nearly forgotten about it. Either because of apathy, resignation, or pretense, Nayeon will never know. Her friends never mention it, but it’s obvious that they too are still worried about the whole situation. Even Dahyun, who tries not to show how affected she is, laughs too much nowadays, a sign of nervousness that Nayeon had come to know about the jolly sophomore. Even Tzuyu, who she saw stumbling on track during the freshman’s gym class yesterday. Even Myoui Mina, whose desk is vacant right now.

                ( _“There are rumors,” she heard Sana say days ago while walking towards the school gates, “some students are blaming Myoui for her disappearance.”_

_“That’s stupid, aren’t they listening? It’s a kidnapping case.” Jihyo quips. “Besides, Chaeyoung’s lovestruck with her and anything she does.”_

_“Who can blame them? It looks like she’s not affected with what’s happening anyway.” Momo comments, her eyes trail on Mina’s disappearing figure ahead of them._

_“We don’t know that.” Sana defends._

_Their conversation ends there._ )

                If they think that Mina’s not affected then, then she’s so affected now, Nayeon thinks, with Mina’s disheveled appearance suddenly appearing by the door, her eyes still with the same nonchalant look but with bigger eyebags, and–

                “Miss Myoui, you rarely get late, so I’ll let you pass. Please sit and do the class work.” Mina bows her head slowly and trudges her way to her desk. _Mina doesn’t walk like that_ , Nayeon thinks and she sighs, waving it off. She goes back to her thoughts while looking at her trigonometry textbook.

                Jeongyeon’s absence for the past two days doesn’t make anything better, it’s just making them all antsy. Even though Nayeon is the only one who knew about Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung being half-sisters, everybody knows how affectionate the older girl is with the cub, so they somewhat understand why she’s been standing up school for days. There’s no news from her nor from Seungwan, Chaeyoung’s older sister.

                And then there’s Chaeyoung who’s currently a ghost.

                Nayeon is fearful. Chaeyoung’s ghost appears, and only she can see it from what she can deduce from yesterday. _Why me?_ She thinks. She mulls over options; tell the others about Chaeyoung, keep it to herself, or ignore the whole thing. It might sound heartless, but a part of Nayeon wants to ignore and move on. Chaeyoung’s desperate eyes steer her away from that, however, and she thinks of how her friends will feel if Chaeyoung remains missing without any information. But then, Chaeyoung doesn’t remember anything too, and she doesn’t know how to help the younger one, with she herself in denial of–

                “I’d never think I’d live to see you so good in trigonometry, _unnie_.” A voice startles her from her thoughts and Nayeon looks to her left to see a wide-eyed Jihyo looking at her textbook. Confused, she looks at her textbook.

                Unknowingly, she answered _all_ questions in the page she’s at. _What…?_

                “Good job, Miss Im. It seems to me like you’re eager to pass your math this trimester.” Both girls look up to their teacher’s voice, not aware that he has been roaming around the room. “You can pass your workbook now if you like, then you can spend the rest of the period however you like.”

                “Um, thank you, Mr. Lee. I’ll do that.” A flustered Nayeon answers and her teacher smiles. She hands her book with hesitation.

                “Have you been studying? Not even Yuta- _sunbaenim­_ is that fast.” A still-wondering Jihyo asks when their teacher leaves them be. “I thought you didn’t like maths?”

                “I didn’t, I still don’t.” A confused Nayeon answers, her eyes trailed on her textbook now sitting atop her teacher’s desk. “I didn’t even know I had it in me.” She vaguely says, not knowing what to say.

                Nayeon prays that Jihyo wouldn’t press any further. Fortunately, Jihyo returns to her own work, too amazed to notice Nayeon’s furrowed eyebrows and confused frown.

* * *

                Their Junior Algebra teacher comes out after the bell rings, and Mina and Jihyo comes in together after, earning questioning glances from their peers. Mina ignores it and proceeds to her desk in the front, while Jihyo goes straight to where her friends are.

                “You’re friends now?” Sana raises her eyebrows, Jihyo rolls her eyes.

                “What’s wrong with that?” She quips, sitting beside a quiet Momo looking out the window. “Well, to answer your question, it’s a no. I just tried to ask her if she’s ok since she never is late to class, but she’s late a while ago. She just shrugged at me.”

                Sana, who’s seated in front of Momo, looks at the lonely girl in her earbuds.

                “Well, maybe all that rumors are getting to her.” Jung Eunbi, their classmate and Sana’s seatmate, commented, also looking at Mina. “She doesn’t deserve those stuff. You know, Chaeyoung- _ssi_ might’ve not confessed that day and she still might be missing the following day. It was just a coincidence.”

                “Well, the bitches–“

                “Sana, language.”

                “–don’t see reason. Poor Mina.” Sana sighs, then looks at Jihyo. “Three days, Jihyo-ya, and still nothing. I don’t know what to think anymore. Jeong’s still not here.” Three eyes cast their sad looks on the seat on Jihyo’s right.

                “I don’t want it, but I’m starting to think–“

                “Don’t say it, Eunha.” A quiet but steely voice interrupts. They all look to Momo, who’s still looking outside the window. “Don’t you say it. There’s still hope, and they haven’t said anything about her being dead.”

                “And they haven’t said anything about her being alive either. Come on guys, be realistic. It’s been three days. Most of the student body’s thinking the same, too.” Eunbi reasons out, earning incredulous looks from Jihyo and Sana. Momo clenches her fist.

                “Well, Eunbi- _ssi_ , we don’t need your realistic views right now.” Jihyo’s voice comes out cold, even Momo silently quivers and Sana cringes. “We’re not most of the student body. We’re Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung’s friends, unlike them, and we’d like to remain positive and strong for them both. Don’t try to convince us otherwise.”

                The teacher enters, and their attention shifts to the front. Momo hears a silent “suit yourselves” from Eunbi and she sighs.

                “Before we start our English class, as your homeroom adviser, I’d like to ask a volunteer to gather all class and home works of this class for Miss Yoo who’s still absent.” Their homeroom and English teacher, Ms. Hwang, looks around. “Anyone up for it?”

                Momo looks at Sana and Jihyo, both looked like they’re about to raise their hand. Momo turns her head sharply in front, her shoulder-length hair flipping, and raises–

                “I’ll do it Ms. Hwang.” A quiet voice, neither Sana’s nor Jihyo’s, startles Momo, and she whips her head to where the voice came from.

                Myoui Mina’s raising her hand.

                “Ah, Miss Myoui, I didn’t know you are well-acquainted with Miss Yoo but thank you for volunteering. But you have different maths with her if I remember correctly. Ah, maybe Miss Hirai can get the maths and hand it to you, yes?” Ms. Hwang looks at a wide-eyed Momo who looked lost.

                “Ah, yes Miss Hwang.” A nod from their teacher and the lesson starts with her writing something on the board.

                “If she’s doing this out of guilt, we’ve got to tell her not to.” Sana whispers, her head tilted slightly at the back. “She shouldn’t beat herself up.”

                “We don’t know that. She might be doing this out of good will.” Jihyo shrugs, busy writing what’s being written on the board on her notebook. Momo glances outside the window again, absentmindedly opening her notebook.

                “How’s Nayeon?” She speaks before thinking, her eyes following a lethargic figure running laps at the field along with the senior students.

                “Ask her yourself.” Jihyo answers, eyes not leaving her notebook. “She looked for you. You two should talk.”

                “Unless she stops being stubborn, we won’t get anywhere.” Momo looks at the board and starts writing on her notebook.

                “Try, Momo. Something tells me she’s going through some things, and she needs you.”

                “But she keeps hiding things from me, it’s irritating. I’m her best friend.”

                “And you aren’t?” Momo’s hand freezes. Jihyo finally looks at her. “Look, Nayeon- _unnie_ ’s the type of person who’d shoulder anything by herself. You should convince her otherwise instead of avoiding the issue. It won’t help. You said it yourself, she doesn’t lash out at you even when you broke her favorite plate before. Maybe all these things are taking a toll on her and she’s just keeping everything to herself.”

                Momo glances back at the window to see the same lethargic figure sprawled out on the benches, a towel covering half of her face, glasses askew. Her concern rises more, but she steels herself, not backing down from Jihyo.

                “She acts like she’s the only one affected by all this. She’s the one who lashed out, not me. Why should I approach her?”

                “Look who’s being stubborn now.” Jihyo sighs, noticing Momo pointedly ignoring her last statement. “Fine, do what you want. Don’t say I didn’t tell you to talk.”

                Momo refuses to hear more.

* * *

                Lunch break is on and Dahyun sits alone on the big tables, Tzuyu obviously not up to eat. She plays with her kimbap, already full even though she only ate a fourth of her packed lunch.

 _I need to study for the Geology class work next period_. Tzuyu’s pathetic excuse comes to her mind and Dahyun frowns. There’s no class work for Geology as far she remembers, but she let the freshman be, knowing the real reason why she wouldn’t join her for lunch.

_It reminds her too much of the cub._

                “You’re alone? Can I join you?” A lovely voice grabs Dahyun’s attention and her eyes widen in surprise.

                Minatozaki Sana, from class 3-B, is standing in front of her, lunch tray on hand, a small smile on her face. Dahyun looks at her for a good few minutes before remembering why her pretty _sunbae_ is standing there.

                “Uhh, yes, sure _sunbae_.” She mumbles, not sure what to say. She scoots over, and Sana sits beside her, her smile widening while putting her lunch tray down.

 _Pretty Minatozaki-sunbae’s sitting beside me and I don’t know why._ Dahyun continues to gawk at Sana, who’s setting her lunch up. She puts the tray aside afterwards and looks back at Dahyun.

                “Thank you Dahyun for letting me sit beside you, and please feel free to all me _unnie_! It’s a privilege since your Nayeon- _unnie_ ’s favorite sophomore.” Sana winks at the now flustered sophomore before starting to eat. Dahyun fiddles with her fingers, unsure of what to do next.

                Noticing the younger girl’s discomfort, Sana takes a piece of kimchi from her plate and puts it on top of one of Dahyun’s kimbap.

                “Here, try it. It’s one of my favorite combos.” Sana offers a warm smile, and Dahyun can’t help but return it. She hesitantly picks the kimbap up, and Sana gives her an encouraging nod, still smiling. Dahyun eats it while still looking at the junior and her eyes light up, clearly pleased.

                “It’s good, _unnie_! Thank you!” Dahyun visibly relaxes and Sana chuckles.

                “I’m glad you like it. Oh, and don’t tell Nayeonnie I said that you are her favorite sophomore. She’ll choke me to death.” Dahyun comically widens her eyes and she gestures zipping her mouth. Sana laughs, glad that the younger girl is more relaxed with her presence.

                They continue eating in a comfortable silence. Dahyun, with her appetite back, eats with a smile on her face, happy with being friends with her pretty _sunbae_. She subtly takes glances towards her companion and silently admires her pretty side profile. Dahyun internally gushes.

                “If you’re curious why I suddenly sat beside you,” said companion snaps Dahyun out of her fangirling, “look there.” Sana points her chopsticks somewhere in the middle of the cafeteria. Dahyun squints hard.

                She sees Nayeon and Momo stares at each other hard before they head out of the cafeteria, unspoken tension between them. Dahyun shivers.

                “I didn’t want a dose of their drama today.” Sana frowns, then she widens her eyes, suddenly facing Dahyun, surprising the latter. “It’s not that I’m using you or anything! I genuinely want to be friends with you, really! This is just an excuse to sit with you really and–“

                “It’s okay, Sana- _unnie_ ,” Dahyun chukles, and Sana finds it cute. “I get it, it sucks I know. And I also wanted to be friends with you. Chaeng mentions you a lot.” Dahyun sees Sana’s smile falter a bit and she presses her lip in a thin line. She ducks her head, berating herself for being insensitive.

                “You’re good friends with Chaeyoungie, yes?” Sana asks, touching Dahyun’s arm, hoping that the younger girl gets the message that Sana isn’t offended at all. Dahyun looks up and nods, acutely aware of how soft Sana’s hand is.

                “I hope they find her soon.” Dahyun says slowly. “It’s been three days. Chaeng’s a strong cub we all know that, but it’s been three days.”

                “You think they’ll find her?” Sana’s soft eyes lands on Dahyun’s wide ones

                “Of course! It’s Chaeyoung after all.” Dahyun offers a wide smile that warms Sana.

                “I’m glad to know you’re still hopeful. The student body’s not anymore.” Sana sighs, clenching her fist. Dahyun doesn’t let go of her hand, instead offering it a calming squeeze.

                “It’s because they don’t know her too well. People tend to get apathetic with people they’re not really well acquainted with.”

                “Did you get that from the great Son Chaeyoung?” Sana gives a playful stare, which Dahyun happily returns, propping her chin on her other hand.

                “Nothing but the best.” They chuckle, and they fall in a comfortable silence. “I know we just met _unnie_ , but I’m glad that you’re comfortable with me.”

                “And I’m glad we’re friends now, Dahyun-ah.” They both offer smiles, and they continue eating, both with the same thoughts.

_I wish Chaeyoung can see this._

                (Chaeyoung, who is standing by the cafeteria door, smiles, glad that two of her precious people are now friends with each other.)


	6. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I almost forgot that I posted this here :((

 

* * *

_Mediums open their spiritual eyes in many ways, dad once told me._

_It’s true. In our family, the four of us, mom, dad, Jaebum, and me, opened our eyes differently. Mom opened hers with a spell she recited from grandpa’s notebook out of rebellion when she was 10. Dad got his with a Ouija board when he was in college. Meanwhile, Jaebum and I got ours when we were young. Dad said I got mine naturally, it just opened one day when I was 4. Jaebum opened his at a funeral when he touched a coffin when he was 5._

_When you open your “eyes” for the first time, it would feel surreal. Your senses will get sharper; you’ll suddenly see things that are not seen by a normal human, hear and smell what others can’t, and feel the spirit world. You’ll feel lighter, since opening your eyes mean freeing your spirit to mingle with the other world._

_The moment you open your eyes, you become ghost bait too. A spiritist, regardless of whether one is a medium or a berserker, holds so much power that ghosts knowingly or unknowingly desires. A spiritist, then, should learn how to control such powers that is opened so that he or she can defend oneself and anybody from the harms that comes from the spirit world._

_There is, however, one way of opening one’s eyes that would probably hurt._

_One can open his/her spiritual eyes when one accidentally looks at a desperate ghost’s eyes. How would you suddenly see a ghost even without opening your eyes yet? One can never know. Once you do open your eyes this way, however, it would feel the opposite of what I just told you._

_Instead of feeling surreal, all you’ll feel is a massive headache and physical, spiritual, and mental heaviness. It’ll be a day or two full of pain and suffering, even in your dreams. All the desperation you’ve seen in the ghost you first saw might even transfer to you. You’ll feel miserable, and your powers would be uncontrollable for a while, making you a ghost bait even if you don’t want to or try not to._

_Nayeon has yet to open her eyes, but she didn’t show any signs of her being a medium at all. Jaebum would often joke around me, calling Nayeon a “stump”, a member of a spiritist family whose connection to the spirit world is cut. I don’t believe that. She’s only 6, still young. She’s playing with anything she sees as I’m writing this journal entry._

_Nayeon, if you’re reading this and your eyes are still closed (I hope not), I strongly suggest NOT to open your spiritual eyes this way._

* * *

Nayeon stands awkwardly in front of Momo, who’s still staring at her. They’re standing by the abandoned faculty hall near the school garden to avoid prying eyes. She fiddles with her eyeglasses, still feeling the dull headache she had since yesterday. Momo sighs, clearly impatient with the mute senior.

“Look Nabongs,” Nayeon lifts her head up, and Momo frowns at the sight. “You’re clearly not okay since yesterday and you look worse now. I now you don’t like people worrying about you, but you’ve got to stop making us worry like this.” Momo’s voice is softer than earlier when she had called her.

Nayeon bows her head and bites her lip. It’s true, she’s not okay. Her whole being feels heavy since yesterday, her mind is always unfocused, and her head feels like it’s about to explode any minute. She, however, refuses to admit that, afraid that admitting her pains would lead to admitting _seeing_ Chaeyoung. She doesn’t want to make a fool out of herself in front of Momo, out of all people.

(She knows she’s making a fool out of herself in front of her best friend and long-time crush regardless of her telling all these or not.)

“Don’t worry about me, Momo.” She tries. Momo stares back at her unimpressed. “It’s just … there are things that I should take care by myself.”

“And these things are?” Nayeon shuts her mouth. _Shit_.

“Uhh, j-just petty things, I guess?”

“Petty things shouldn’t cause you to sway in the track oval while running.” Momo crosses her arms, and Nayeon wonders how Momo knew she was swaying during gym class. “You’re hiding something from me. You don’t stutter, you’re a narcissist. It’s taking a toll on you.” Nayeon panics.

 _She knows I’m hiding something from her! She knows I can’t keep a secret from her and she’s using it against me!_ She shuffles her feet, refusing to say anything any further.

“Well?” Momo sighs and she drops her hand. “Listen, Nayeon-ah, I’m your best friend. You can tell me anything, and I’ll even help you anyway I can. I can’t stand seeing you like this.” Nayeon scoffs.

“Well, there’s a concept called privacy and secrecy.” Nayeon stares hard in defense. Momo narrows her eyes. “Besides, you’re the one to talk about keeping things from you.”

“I’m not keeping anything from you.”

“Oh really?” Nayeon raises her eyebrow, suddenly riled up. “How about the times you and Sana would whisper when I’m there like you’re afraid I’ll hear?”

“That’s not–“

“Or that one time you almost slammed your locker door on my hand when I reached out to get a letter out?”

“Don’t be unreasonable, I–“

“You accuse me of keeping things from you when you yourself are keeping things from me?” Nayeon raises her hand. “Way to go, best friend.”

“Look, I’m not here to fight you about petty things.” Momo huffs crosses her arms back, in defense,  and Nayeon knew she hit a spot.

“So, you think I’m being petty now?”

“Well, clearly you are! You’re pushing me away and I don’t even know why!” That snaps Nayeon’s mouth. Momo continues regardless, fists clenched on her sides. “You think I don’t notice? I don’t know when you started it, but you’re distancing yourself more and more from me. You look away most of the time when I look at you, you shy away from me whenever I try touching you. You barely say anything to me these days, and now this. You push me away when I show concern.” Momo’s eyes soften. Nayeon remains silent, her head turned away from Momo.

“I don’t know what you’ve been doing for the past days that made you look like this but–“

“Don’t start acting like my parent, Hirai.” Nayeon cuts Momo off, head still turned away from her with her fists clenched hard. “You’re not my mom.” She earns an incredulous look from her bestfriend.

“What’s gotten into you, Nayeon?” Momo strained, obviously shocked with the older girl’s demeanor. She tries again. “This is not you, are you–“

“You heard me!” Nayeon shouts, head turning to Momo. The latter visibly flinches seeing the older girl’s wide red eyes. “I don’t need you right now or your nagging! You’re not my parent!”

Senior year, her strained relationship with Yoona and her mom, her ever-growing feelings for her best friend who clearly likes somebody else (yet said best friend denies), Chaeyoung’s disappearance and reappearance as a ghost, and her dreams and headaches. All the stress and frustrations Nayeon kept in herself suddenly burst out from her. Momo just had to be unfortunate to be at the receive end of her anger. A few minutes of staring with each other, with only hearing heavy breathing from Nayeon, Momo closes her eyes and opens them again, her hard eyes staring at Nayeon’s angry ones.

“Fine,” she whispers, “don’t take care of yourself for all I care.” She turns on her heels and walks away. A few steps and she pauses. “Don’t come running to me when you can’t take it anymore. Oh, yeah, you don’t need me.” She walks away completely, leaving a dazed Nayeon standing still on the hallway.

A few more minutes pass and the bell rings, snapping Nayeon out of her daze, suddenly aware of what she has done. She groans and bangs her head softly on the bulletin board beside her, ignoring the weird looks the other students are giving her.

_Fuck, why did I do that?_

* * *

Chaeyoung follows a flurry of green neckties to the science room at the end of the 3rd floor hallway. The excited chatters from her classmates from 1-A  is enough to make Chaeyoung smile. Geology had always been a subject she and her classmates wanted to have since the first trimester when they had Astronomy. For her, the earth and all its aspects are fascinating to study upon.

And now here she is, attending the first day of her Geology class as a ghost. How uncomfortable.

They reach the classroom in no time and Chaeyoung mentally checks the attendance while looking around, and she finds herself a blank seat beside her own.

The door slams and everybody, including Chaeyoung, looks to see who Chaeyoung has been looking for. An impassive-looking Tzuyu stands by the door and moves to close it. Everybody falls silent while looking at the girl who is slowly walking towards her seat.

“There she goes, feeling no remorse with Chaeyoung- _ssi_ ’s disappearance.” Chaeyoung hears, and her frown even deepens. Tzuyu seemed to hear it too and a look of discomfort passes through her, but it seems to Chaeyoung that she decided to ignore it.

_What in the world are those blabbermouths talking about?_

Unaware, Tzuyu passes through Chaeyoung who was standing by the teacher’s desk. The latter sees the slightly younger girl shiver a bit before settling down to her seat.

 _At least she felt me, a little._ Chaeyoung forms a tight-lipped smile from her mouth. She then goes to her seat beside Tzuyu when she sees the door open for the second time.

She stands beside Tzuyu just in front of her seat when the class starts, contemplating whether she would sit down or not, knowing that she passes through _everything_ her body meets.

 _Screw it, please let me sit for once._ She closes her eyes, wishing hard while slowly sitting.

Her butt lands on the wood of the chair.

 _Finally!_ She sighs in relief, relishing the feel (if Chaeyoung can call that, do ghost even feel?) of the chair below her. She looks ahead on the board, smiling wistfully, enjoying her moments in her beloved classroom even as a ghost.

“Miss Chou, if you would like, you can sit with Mister Lee over–“

“I refuse.” Again, everybody’s attention land on Tzuyu who simply sat there, eyes looking at her teacher with boredom. Chaeyoung chuckles, already used to Tzuyu’s attitude with everybody including teachers.

“This class requires you a pair or two since the activities would be heavy for the trimester.” The teacher explains. Chaeyoung raises her eyebrows in curiosity.

“Pair? Then I choose Son Chaeyoung as a pair.” There was suddenly heavy silence and Chaeyoung had guffaw.

“Are you out of your mind, Chewy? I’m not here to–“ Her own words hit her hard, and she is reminded of the reality that she is currently a ghost.

A helpless ghost to be exact.

“Miss Son is not here, and we don’t know if–“

“I choose her. Or I work alone.” Tzuyu cuts again. Her classmates look away in discomfort (and guilt). The ghost beside her looks at her in awe of her resilience. Even with her current predicament, Chaeyoung smiles towards her seatmate who is still looking at her teacher hard.  _She believes I'm coming back_.

“Well then, if you insist.” The teacher moves on, and Tzuyu sighs silently, glancing subtly at Chaeyoung’s desk with soft eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Chaeyoung whispers even if she knows Tzuyu won’t here. “I’m gonna be back soon.” She reassures (mostly to herself), her shaky voice giving away her slight hopelessness.

_I’m gonna be back. I’ll look for a way._

The lesson starts, and Tzuyu a note suddenly sticking on her desk. Chaeyoung peeks, and she smiles wider, and she turns her head back to pay attention to the lesson she can’t afford to miss.

_We’re so sorry. For the hurtful words. – Kim Yerim_

* * *

Sana enters the computer room, ten minutes late, to find Momo boring holes on the screen through her eyes. She blinks multiple times before looking at Jihyo two chairs away from the brooding Japanese. Jihyo has the same bewildered expression as Sana’s.

“Miss Minatozaki, please find your seat between Miss Jihyo and Miss Sooyoung over there. I’ll let you slide since it’s the first meeting for this class.” Sana bows and silently heads to the said seat. She turns on the computer assigned to her while bringing out her book.

“Hey, you know why Momo- _ssi_ ’s like that?” A whisper from Sooyoung gets her attention. Sana peeks again to see Momo’s same expression as before.

“No clue. Jihyo?” She looks at Jihyo, now with a round specs adorning her face. Sana gets a shake of head in return. They go back in silence, working on the exercise their teacher gave them as a computer proficiency test.

“Not really sure, but it might be because of a certain senior bunny.” Jihyo whispers after a few minutes. “They talked outside the cafeteria, looks like nothing good came out of it.”

“Hey, speaking of,” Sana rummages her bag silently. She takes a piece of crumpled paper out of it. “I found this by the garden and–”

“What are you doing in the garden?”

“–it looks like a note from the infirmary and it says Im Nayeon. Looks like _unnie_ wasn’t lying when she said the nurse allowed her out yesterday.” Sana finishes, ignoring Sooyoung’s teasing question.

“Hmm? If the nurse says so, then maybe she really is fine?” Jihyo turns her head towards Sana, frowning. “But it really doesn’t look like it.” Sana nods her head in agreement.

“Ah, I remember I saw Nayeon- _sunbaenim_ at the hallway earlier.” Jihyo and Sana looks at Sooyoung whose eyes didn’t leave the screen.

“What? When?” Sana asks, an ominous feeling coming to her.

“A while ago, when the bell rang. I walked past her. When I looked back to check if it was really her, I just saw her going to the direction of the Linguistics wing of the school, the opposite side of where I was going.”

“Did she look like sh– death?” Sana stutters when she sees Jihyo’s glare at her when she almost swore.

“No, not really. She’s holding up well, except for the fact like she looked like a slapped puppy. Probably because of Momo- _ssi_.” Sooyoung shrugs, returning to her computer screen. Sana thinks Jihyo has concluded that it's the best friends' quarrel that is the cause of Nayeon's demeanor. She would like to think that too, but she couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in her.

“Well, if that’s the case, then we shouldn’t worry that much? Let the two of them sort things out.” Jihyo says, finality in her words. Sana, however, still feels uneasy.

The three of them, with the class, continue with their exercise on their own, but Sana doesn’t feel relieved. She finds herself worrying about the senior, who has a knack of ignoring her health to exhaustion. Nobody might’ve noticed, but Sana has been keeping an eye on Nayeon ever since they met, the same with her friends.

She has always been the mood setter for her friends since Sana feels like it’s the only thing she can do for her friends; lifting her friends’ spirits up. It works every time as long as she can tell. But this time, with Nayeon, everything seems different.

Sana knows Nayeon is keeping secrets, but Sana has secrets of her own, so she understands and won't push her to spill. But she knows she would have to do something if her health gets jeopardized.

An hour into the class and a teacher comes by to talk to their own computer teacher.

Sana suddenly feels shivers down her spine and she looks up to the door to see nothing. She panics a little, but she tries to ignore her gut feel that something wasn’t right, dismissing it as some mere imagination of hers.

(Chaeyoung, who was by the door, sees how her Sana- _unnie_ shivered and she silently apologize. She then looks at Momo, who was still brooding, and she turns back, set on finding Nayeon who she last saw with the junior.

She feels a sudden sense of urgency when the teacher that entered the room told the computer teacher quietly that one of her students from 4-A, a certain Im, wasn’t in class today.)

* * *

The water continuously flows from the tap, and Nayeon simply stares at it with blinking eyes. Her headache is now worse than before, and she decided to ditch her Korean class to wash up in the bathroom.

She’s in the bathroom for almost an hour now (thankfully only a few students use the bathroom at the Linguistics wing of their school building), and she doesn’t feel a bit relieved than before. She sighs, and she closes the tap. She stumbles towards the corner and sits, staring at the ceiling pathetically. She grabs her glasses and puts it away.

 _Don’t coming running to me when you can’t take it anymore._ Momo’s words ring out and she internally groans. She didn’t know what came to her that time, but all she knows is that she screwed up with Momo. Big time. She closes her eyes and ruffles her hair out of frustration. Her self-loathing session is interrupted when her phone vibrates. She takes it out of her skirt pocket and checks. Two messages came in, one from Sana, and one from Shiah.

_YooA my girl: Hey Nayeon, Mister Choi’s looking for you, where are you?_

_Snake: Hey, I know I’m overreacting but I’m making sure you’re fine and you’re in class._

She ignores Shiah’s text and replies a quick “I’m okay” to Sana. Deciding that moping around the bathroom won’t do her any good, she stands up to go back to class.

On her first step, however, she stumbles, barely gripping the sink nearest to her to not fall on the ground. She grits her teeth in frustration, her vision now swirling with dark spots.

“ _Poor you, you can’t even stand straight._ ” A disembodied voice startles her, and she whips her head to see if there’s someone with her, only to find herself still alone. She shakes her head and looks up to the mirror, and she finds herself screaming.

A bloodied body was looking at her through the mirror, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, eyes as red as the blood he’s covered with.

“ _You see me, that’s good,_ ” the spirit says while licking his lips. Nayeon refuses to look behind her and just looks at the mirror, black spots still covering her vision.

“Whatever is it that you want, please don’t kill me or anything close to that.” She manages to squeak, her panic levels up the roof when she realizes that she can’t move. Out of fear or the doings of the evil-looking ghost behind her, Nayeon can’t tell.

“ _Ah, youth,_ ” the ghost chuckles darkly, “ _full of energy and spirit_.” Nayeon’s headache worsens, and she finds herself succumbing to the pain. She squints, desperately trying hard not to fall, but the dark and gold spots suddenly invading her sight makes it harder for her. Her grip on the sink slowly loosens and she faints, her body hitting the ground hard.

The last thing she remembers seeing is the spirit’s mouth splitting in a gruesome way, about to eat her, Chaeyoung appearing by the doorway, wide eyes looking at her in panic, and a flash of blue light that fills the whole bathroom.


	7. 6

 

* * *

_It’s the pungent smell of alcohol and disinfectant that registers in 12-year-old Nayeon’s mind when she wakes up. It didn’t make any sense to her at first, and her confusion makes her open her eyes faster than she ever had. All she sees is blurry white, she hears the pitter pat of rain and the beeping of the heart machine beside her, and she’s suddenly aware of some tube attached to her mouth, an IV and a blood bag hanging by her right side, and so much pain especially on her left leg. Finding no strength to move, she looks around by moving her eyeballs instead, suddenly wondering why she’s lying in a hospital bed. Her sight is still a blur to her, so she keeps blinking her eyes._

_She doesn’t remember anything that could’ve led to her situation right now._

_“Mrs. Im, we are so sorry.” Nayeon hears a hushed voice coming from outside her room. By the window on her, she squints to see three blurry silhouettes standing, two women, probably her mom and Yoona, and a man facing them, a doctor perhaps?_

_Where’s dad and oppa?_

                _“We’ve done everything we can with her left leg, but it would really take time to heal it. Her leg was crushed under heavy metals after all.” She looks ahead and sees the faint outline of the tip of her bandaged and cemented left leg and foot. “There’s a chance of her not being able to walk again.”_

_What….?_

                _“Also, we couldn’t do anything about her eyesight that was disrupted because of the heavy head trauma she’s experienced. We’d have to check her every now and then to make sure it doesn’t lead to blindness.” Oh._

_Nayeon closes her eyes and tries to take a deep breath, but the tube attached to her mouth and the cannula on her nose doesn’t make it easier for her. She tries to remember anything that had happened for the past few hours before this._

_A flash, and there was rain, pouring too hard, dad was driving with her and somebody at the back. Jaebum-oppa?_

_Where were they headed?_

_“How about….?” She hears her mom’s broken voice and she looks back again at the window._

                _“He arrived late at the hospital, and the surgeons have declared him as dead on arrival. We are truly sorry for the loss of your husband.” She involuntarily takes a sharp breath, and she feels her heart beat in an abnormally faster rate._

_Dad is dead. No._

_“As for your son, we’re sorry but the police couldn’t find any trace of him. He’s gone.”_

_The beeping of the heart machine goes erratic, and panicked voices come rushing in to the door._

* * *

                She opens her eyes the second time, and instead of seeing white, she sees the blurry faded yellow ceiling of their school’s infirmary. She blinks, and she shudders, remnants of her memory-dream still lingering at the back of her head.

                She reflects on her memory of that day. Even after all these years, her memory of what happened was still a blur and her mom and even Yoona wouldn’t say anything about it. It makes her mad and confused, she did almost lose her ability to walk after all (even her recovery was a mystery, but she thinks it’s related to their “family business”, not that she would admit it loudly).

                Im Jaebum, her brother, was still missing. The police considered him dead already, and her mom had given up on seeing him dead or alive. Yoona might not show it, but, like Nayeon herself, she believes she would see Jaebum again, alive.

                There’s so much she doesn’t know that she doesn’t even know what she should know anymore.

                After a few moments, she tries moving her head to her side, and she sees an outline of a pink necktie. She looks up to see Sana waking up from slouched position on her side while looking at her with teary eyes.

                “Nayeonnie! Thank goodness you’re awake.” Sana launches herself to hug a flustered Nayeon, hugging her as tight as she can. The latter can only gasp in surprise, but she smiles in appreciation. She relaxes, and Sana helps her to sit up a little without breaking their hug.

               She looks around the infirmary and sees nobody around except a blurry figure standing in the corner. She squints, her eyeglasses on the side table completely forgotten. She makes out Chaeyoung’s figure in the dark who looks like a hawk looking at her with sharp, worried eyes.

                _That evil spirit, Chaeyoung, and a blue light._ All that happened in the bathroom comes back to her, and she takes in a sharp breath when Chaeyoung starts approaching her.

                “I’m glad you’re all right, _unnie._ ” Chaeyoung stops just behind Sana, a smile on her face. “I honestly didn’t know what to do. Then Sana- _sunbaenim_ came, thank her for me too.”

                Nayeon can only stare at the freshman who still had her uniform and varsity jacket on, the very outfit she had before disappearing. Chaeyoung’s demeanor doesn’t falter; a small smile still on her somewhat glowing face, and the senior is reminded of what is happening.

                The poor freshman is here with them, as a ghost. _As a ghost_. Nayeon’s eyes widen, realization dawning in her face. No matter how much she denies it, the proof is there; ghosts are real, and Chaeyoung’s currently a manifestation of one.

                _Chaeyoung’s a ghost now._ Unknowingly, she starts crying, her shoulders shaking.

                “Nayeonnie…?” Sana lets go and holds her shoulders. “Hey what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Sana panics, grabbing her handkerchief to wipe Nayeon’s tears. Chaeyoung stands awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

“Chaeyoung, she…” Before she wipes her face, however, she notices Nayeon’s line of sight behind her back and looks, only to see nothing.

                Chaeyoung finds herself freezing when Sana looks in her direction, only to relax when the latter didn’t show any sign of being able to see her. She steps back a little, her sad eyes looking at Nayeon who was still bawling her eyes out.

                “What about her?” Sana asks, but it makes Nayeon bawl more instead. The junior panics.

                “ _Unnie_ , please don’t cry.” Chaeyoung tries to reach out but hesitates. She resorts to clutching her ghostly necktie instead while looking down at the ground. “I don’t like it when you cry.”

                “Nayeon- _unnie_ , please tell me what’s wrong.” Sana almost cries herself, wiping tears and snots from Nayeon’s face. Seeing that she won’t get any response from the older girl, Sana just hugs the girl in comfort while stroking her back. She lets Nayeon cry, aware that Nayeon’s still looking at her back.

                The two girls stay like that for a few minutes with Sana letting Nayeon calm down. Chaeyoung grits her teeth in frustration, with her not being able to do anything for her _unnie_ and even making her cry. She goes back to the corner of the infirmary to let her _sunbaes_ be in privacy.

                Chaeyoung shudders when she sees Sana looking at her direction, and she swears Sana looks like she’s looking right at her, even though the olfer girl couldn't see her.

* * *

                Seungwan navigates herself in the living room full of clothes, books, and broken ceramic everywhere. She sees more trails of broken glass leading to the room at the second floor. _Jeongyeon_. She sighs, and goes up the room, careful to not step on anything that can hurt her foot (Seungwan can now see why her step-sister is considered as one of their high school team’s best batters. She hit the vases so hard, the shards scattered around are only as big as Seungwan’s small palms, and they’re everywhere.).

                She reaches the front of Jeongyeon’s door, and she takes a deep breath and hesitates before knocking and entering the room.

                Slowly opening the door, she sees more clothes scattered around the room and a lump at the middle of the bed which was surprisingly clean of the mess. She sighs again.

                “Jeong,” she calls out, her voice barely a whisper. The lump moves, and she carefully tread towards the bed. She places her hand softly on where Jeongyeon’s shoulder is supposed to be.

                “Jeongyeon,” she tries again, and this time Jeongyeon removes the blanket covering her face slowly to face her older sister. Seungwan’s heart clenches hard when she sees her; sunken eyes brimming red from crying for days, gaunt looking face, and she’s looking at Seungwan with the most heart-breaking expression she’s ever mustered.

                “Nothing?” Jeongyeon asks quietly. Seungwan hesitates, and she finds her answer. She turns her back again against the older girl, trying hard not to breakdown in front of her again.

                “Jeong, please look at me,” Seungwan gently grabs Jeongyeon’s shoulders. When the younger girl shows no signs of repulsion from her, she slowly lifts her body in a full embrace. “Jeongyeon, don’t do this to yourself. Chaeyoung wouldn’t want this for you.” She whispers in the softest manner she can.

                Jeongyeon’s breath hitches, and Seungwan rocks her body for comfort. Another batch of tears fall on Seungwan’s shoulders and she doesn’t mind. She lets the younger one cry in her shoulders, with her stroking her back. Jeongyeon returns the embrace with a fierce hug, and Seungwan lets a few tears fall.

                “It’s gonna be okay, yeah? We’re gonna be okay.” Seungwan says, more to herself than to Jeongyeon. She buries her nose in the crook of her sister’s neck, relishing the feel of her sister who was so distant and unresponsive a few days ago.

                “Yeah.” Jeongyeon whispers, and she finds herself smiling a little against Seungwan’s hair, and the latter lets herself believe in empty words for once.

* * *

                “Mina- _ssi_ ,” a voice startles Mina and she yelps, letting go of the stacks of papers she took from her locker, her knee hitting the locker a few paces in front of her. Luckily, the students passing by ignores her, so nobody noticed her mishap. She grits her teeth in pain and turns to look at the offender who called her.

                Her glare falters; it’s Hirai Momo, with a concerned expression on her face, her hand clutching two pieces of papers that looked like homeworks. A few moments pass, and Momo kneels beside her to pick up the papers scattered around her.

                “I’m sorry, I never thought you would be surprised.” Momo’s tone was too formal compared to how Mina hears her during class and it surprises her. Both girls stand up, dusting off each own’s skirts. She sees Momo put the papers she was holding before on top of the pile she collected from the floor.

                “Mina- _ssi_ , you don’t have to give this to Jeongyeon. We can take care of it.” A smile too formal matches the tone is sent her way, and Mina can only stare. She blinks in surprise, not expecting anyone to offer to do what she’s tasked to do. She narrows her eyes and she notices it.

                She sees a faint trace of hesitation and concern.

                “Momo- _ssi,_ ” Mina’s voice was carefully low. “Are you perhaps thinking that I’m doing this out of guilt?”

                “No, I–“

                “No, I’m not guilty. And please don’t make your pity an excuse to get close to me.” Mina finishes off, taking the pile of papers from Momo’s hand, and she turns away to take her coat and umbrella from her locker before closing it.

                “You think I pity you?” Mina looks and sees Momo still standing there, a faint smirk on her face. “I don’t pity you at all. If anything, I just don’t want Jeongyeon to face somebody who has anything to do with Chaeyoung gone.” Mina’s eyes widen, and she looks at Momo, lips shaking with disbelief at the implied accusation.

                Seeing Mina’s face falter, Momo’s smirk softens into a smile. “I got you.”

                “What are you–“

                “You are doing this out of guilt, Mina- _ssi_.” Mina pauses, casting her eyes to the ground, and Momo sighs. She steps forward and grab both of Mina’s shoulders to get her attention. “You don’t have to do this out of guilt. You have nothing to do with Chaeyoung’s disappearance. Don't mind what I said, I just wanted to check on something.” Mina stays silent. “And you are affected, Why are you so affected anyway? Where’s the Myoui Mina that hates everybody in school?”

                “Where did you get that idea, Momo- _ssi_?” Mina’s quiet voice pips in, looking up with softest eyes Momo has ever seen from the younger girl. “I don’t hate anybody in school.” She quietly confesses, and Momo smiles.

                “I’m glad that you’re suddenly telling me these things. And I’m sorry for assuming, I mean, you don’t talk to anybody, you don’t smile, and you did slap Chaeyoung twice. I didn’t know you’re just shy.” At that, Mina jumps away from Momo, her eyes looking anywhere except Momo.

                “Don’t assume anything about me. We’re not even friends!” The flustered Mina scrambles off, and Momo can only chuckle at the former’s actions.

                “I wonder why Chaeyoung likes you.” She can only smile wistfully, remembering the still missing freshman. “I wish she could see this.” She sighs and turns around to her locker.

                (Had she stayed longer, she would see a huffing Sana half carrying, half dragging a semi-conscious Nayeon out of the school building.)

* * *

                Sana unceremoniously dumps Nayeon in the back seat of her Vios before stepping in herself with her dropping both of their bags on the floor. The latter doesn’t mind, and instead leaned her head on the window. She listens as Sana instructs her chauffeur to take them to Nayeon’s home.

                “Didn’t know you have a driver. You’re rich and you always make me pay for your cheese kimbap? How cruel of you, Satang.” Nayeon laughs then groans, her laugh ringing too loud on her head.

                “Hey, don’t move too much, your fever’s bad.” She fixes Nayeon’s legs so it won’t occupy too much space. “Besides, it’s my parent’s car, not mine. They just bought this and hired Mr. Choi over here before they went back home. I’m still a broke student with fixed allowances that don’t fit the budget most of the time.” And there was silence. The car starts and leaves for Nayeon’s home.

                “How did you know where to look for me?” Nayeon asks quietly. Sana fiddles with her fingers, contemplating on how she would answer.

                “I didn’t.” She says. “I ran like crazy from class. You had me worried; you don’t text during class.” Sana smiles. She hears a silent “thank you” from Nayeon and she shrugs. They sit in silence again.

                From time to time, Sana would sneak worried glances to the sick senior who was looking out the window in a daze, her cheeks red with fever. She takes a deep breath.

                “Nayeon,” she starts, “I want to talk about–“

                “Momo, yeah?” Nayeon cuts her off, her attention not taken from the scenery outside the car window. “I knew you’d want to talk about it.”

                “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it now.” There was silence. Nayeon shifts on her seat to fully face Sana, who’s still looking at her with soft eyes.

                “Ever since Chaeng’s gone, everything just went downhill.” Nayeon whispers while fiddling with her fingers. “Chaeyoung had to be gone, and I–“ _I’m suddenly confused with everything I believe in._

                “I know you love Chaeyoung so much, Nayeon. But you don’t have to keep this all to yourself. We’re all hurting and hoping. You’re not alone.” Sana takes Nayeon’s hand in her own as a sign of comfort, just letting the older one spill everything that she wanted to say.

                “It’s not that, it’s – nevermind, you won’t understand.” _You won’t understand how I’m feeling when I’m the only one seeing Chaeyoung like this._ Nayeon closes her eyes and takes her hand away from Sana’s grip. The latter frowns with her actions.

                “Well then, will you push us all away like with Momo?” A few beats of silence. Sana turns to look outside the window when she hears no answer from the senior.

                “I didn’t want to push her away.” Nayeon sighs. “I’ve just been through some tough stuff lately, and I don’t even know why I said those things to her.”

                “Pushing her away won’t help the both of you, especially you with your feelings.”

                “I know. I just want to move on.”

                The car stops at a red light, and both girls sat in silence in the car, looking outside.

                “You should confess.” Sana suddenly says, and Nayeon can’t help but scoff.

                “Between the both of us, you know damn well that it won’t work.” The car starts running again, and Nayeon slowly tilts her head towards Sana’s direction. “I want to move on. Momo likes somebody else, and she told you instead of me. How would I feel about that?”

                “I still think you should confess.”

                “I don’t want to jeopardize our friendship.”

                “You already did.” Sana’s response was laced with sharpness that Nayeon can’t help but flinch. She knew Sana was right, but in all honesty, she didn’t know what to do. With all the things that are happening in her life right now, Nayeon doesn’t know which ones she should deal with first.

                Her headache’s worse than before. She never expected for her trimester to be this agonizing. And her poor friends, especially Momo, are suffering because of it.

                “I’m sorry. I’m being a brat and it’s all taking a toll on you.”

               “You’re not really being a brat. We all just have different forms of coping when it comes to problems. Apparently, yours is pushing people away.” Sana looks at her, gaze softer than before. “Just, patch things up with Momo and stop running away from your feelings. Whether you’ll confess or not, face it.” Sana grabs Nayeon’s hands again. “And stop pushing people away.” Nayeon nods mutely, and Sana gives her a cheeky grin.

                The car slows down, nearing their destination. Nayeon sees the outline of their family home, blurred with her glasses on her bag.

                “Will we get to see Chaeyoung alive again?”

                “Believe in her, Nabongs. We will.” The car stops by the corner of the street where Nayeon lived.

                “The last time I believed in someone, it was with Jaebum- _oppa_. It’s been seven years and he’s still not here.” Nayeon opens the side of her door before Sana can protest. “Thank you for the ride, and I’m fine with walking on my own.” She hops out of the car with her bag and closes it. Sana can only look at a wobbly Nayeon through the side mirror.

                “I just told you not to push people away.” Sana pinches the bridge of her nose before telling her chauffeur to drive her home.

* * *

                _There was a flash of blue light and suddenly Chaeyoung feels so much pain. Before she can even enter the bathroom to help the unconscious Nayeon, she drops to the ground while writhing in pain. Her body feels like it’s being stabbed multiple times by sharp objects, and she sees herself fading in and out of sight._

_No!_

_She hears that freaky spirit that was about to eat Nayeon scream in pain while disintegrating. Fearing of having the same fate, she slowly crawls toward Nayeon in agony, hoping she would anchor herself in this world by being close to somebody alive._

_Then just like that, the blue light fades and Chaeyoung find herself being able to breath again, if she can consider herself breathing at all. Her chest heaves up and down, and she looks at the ceiling, her mind still numbed in pain. She closes her eyes and braces herself up, still feeling weak after that encounter with that blue light. She looks up and sees Nayeon still unconscious on the floor._

_“Unnie!” She shouts, a sudden adrenaline rushes through her as she finds her senior pale and unconscious. She tries to shake the girl awake, but her hand goes through her body. “Dammit!” She looks around for anything that could help her help her unnie but nothing. “Unnie, please!” She shouts in desperation._

_“Nayeon!” A shout from the outside and Chaeyoung sees Sana panting hard. The said girl rushes inside, obviously not noticing Chaeyoung, and she grabs the senior by the shoulders. “Hey! Nabongs!” Sana lifts Nayeon in a piggyback manner and she rushes out of the bathroom._

_Chaeyoung releases a breath in relief, and before she could follow Sana, another scream rang out from one of the cubicles. She turns her head and sees a ghost, a middle-aged lady, gaping at her._

_“Uhm,” unsure of what was happening, she slowly approaches the other ghost. “Hello?”_

_The other ghost just screams at her before disappearing._

                _Damn, why are they all screaming at me._ Chaeyoung massages her ears, remembering what happened in the bathroom a few hours prior. She walks by the sidewalk in the central district, unsure of where to go. She looks at her hands to see them semi-solid again, unlike earlier. She feared so much that time, when she started flickering in and out of sight.  _I thought I was a goner._

                _I hope Nayeon-unnie’s okay._ She also thinks to herself, ignoring everything that is around her. She stops walking and looks around, only to see people walking fast. It’s 5pm and people are rushing everywhere. A thought comes to mind suddenly.

                _What was that chain thing on the other ghost’s chest?_

                She resumes walking, unaware of everything until she reaches Nayeon’s neighborhood and spots the same girl, lethargically walking towards their front door. She stands by the corner, observing how the other girl drags herself towards their home. She watches how her older sister opens the door just in time to see Nayeon, who was a few steps away from their door, collapse, and just in time to catch her.

                In panic and instinct, Chaeyoung runs towards where Nayeon is, only to be flung away by some barrier that is surrounding the house, the same barrier that she encountered a few days ago. 

                She sits up, and she sees her Yoona- _unnie_ carry Nayeon inside the house. She stands up and sighs, slamming her fist against the barrier that is keeping her from coming in every time.

                “Damnit!”

* * *

                “Hey mom,” Yoona whispers while wiping a wet cloth at a feverish Nayeon. “Yeah, she just got home.” She puts her phone in between her shoulders and her ear to wring the towel she’s been using.

                “Yeah, she’s asleep. Fever’s too bad though.” Yoona carries the basin away to replace the now-cold water with new hot water. She goes back to Nayeon’s room, puts the basin with the water and towel down on the floor, and she takes her phone again from her shoulder. She looks at Nayeon who was still breathing hard, her face full of sweat,

                “Mom, you have to go home. Nayeon has opened her eyes.”


	8. 7

 

* * *

                Son Technological Industries. The company is considered as one of the top rising tech companies in Seoul. Started just 10 years ago, the company rose to fame because of its advanced technology in the medical field. For 10 years, the company has been providing support and assistance to the medical field especially to the most complicated sicknesses and disabilities. Not just that, but the company was rumored to be established by an orphaned ten-year-old, a feat that can never be done in the next set of years.

                The rumors were never confirmed. Only those inside the company knows.

                Son Seungwan, founder and current CEO of STI, sits lifelessly in her chair at her office at the 21st floor of the building, her line of sight trained on the sole picture frame that is standing by the left side of her desk. She takes it carefully and she slowly runs her thumb on the photo.

                It’s a picture of her and her siblings some years ago while sitting by the shoreline at the beach. There three of them are looking far away from the camera, their side profiles and Hawaiian shirts blending beautifully with the orange background of the sunset sky. She runs her thumb over Chaeyoung’s smiling face and Jeongyeon’s goofy one. A lone tear escapes from her eyes.

                “You’re still here?” A voice from the door grabs her attention. “I thought you came home to check on your sister.”

                “I did. I came back after. I needed to meet with Chief Kim earlier.” The figure entered the room and sat in front of Seungwan.

                “And?” The person softly said. “What did he say?” Seungwan looks away, still holding the photo frame carefully.

                There was silence, with Seungwan looking away from her companion, a fresh batch of tears beginning to pool at the rim of her eyes. She looks back at the photo frame and takes a deep breath, knowing that the person in front of her is waiting for her answer.

                “When we left our father,” she whispers, “it was the best time of my life.”

                ( _There was a thunderstorm that night, but it didn’t stop 10-year-old Seungwan from taking a few of her belongings, Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon out of the Son family mansion. The patriarch was not there, making it easier for the three girls to escape by Jeongyeon’s open window and run as fast as they can._

_When they reach the highway an hour of run later, they catch the first bus they see. As the bus takes off, they slump on the backseats, panting but with a sigh of relief. Seungwan looks back at where their house was located with sadness, not entirely happy with leaving the comfort of their house behind. But she knew it had to be done. For their sake._

_She was deemed as young genius in their town, a child prodigy in all subject matters one can think of. Now, she thinks that leaving home is the stupidest thing she’s ever done._

_She looks to her side and sees her siblings smiling for the first time since their mother died 2 years ago, and she’s instantly reminded of why they had to leave in the first place._

_“Aren’t you too young to travel without your parents at this time?”  The bus driver’s voice rings out from the front, him looking at them through the mirror. Seungwan musters her sweetest smile while looking back at him._

_“We’re out to meet our dad,” she lies, and she had to pinch Jeongyeon who snorted. “We always travel alone since he’s busy with his work in” she looks at the front of the bus “Seoul.” Her smile doesn’t falter even though the driver’s eyes looks skeptical._

_“How about your mom?”_

_“Dead.” The 8-year-old Jeongyeon deadpans, and her older half-sister slaps her thigh._

_“I’m sorry,” Seungwan says still with her sickly-sweet smile. “My sister doesn’t know how to filter her words.” Jeonyeon glares at her._

_“No, I’m sorry for being rude. I didn’t mean to pry.” The driver smiles, and he returns his eyes back to driving._

_Throughout the ride, the driver keeps giving suspicious glances towards the only passengers in the bus. Seungwan notices this after a while, and she suddenly pulls out an envelope full of cash that she stole from her father’s study hours ago._

_“It looks like father gave as a bigger allowance than before.” She makes sure driver hears her. Jeongyeon gives her a questioning glance before it turns into a subtle smirk._

_“Isn’t that a good thing, unnie?” She grins, going along her sister’s show. “This time, we can do so much things than before. Father did mention that we’ll stay with him in Seoul longer.”_

_They talk until they are sure the driver’s convinced of their little act. They then look at Chaeyoung who is sleeping by the window. They giggle, happy that their 5-year-old is now sleeping soundly._

_After a few hours, the bus stops and they hop off after paying the driver. They remain standing at the bus stop even until their ride left, Chaeyoung sleeping soundly while Seungwan carries her._

_“Where do we go now, unnie?” Jeongyeon asks, eyes shining with excitement that makes Seungwan almost guilty for leading them away into nothing. She honestly doesn’t know what to do after leaving herself nor does she know where to go. Jeongyeon seems to notice her older sister’s hesitance and she grabs Seungwan’s free hand._

_“Whatever happens, I trust you and I love you unnie.” Seungwan smiles with the younger one’s confession and she hugs her with one hand, careful not to wake the sleeping cub up._

_At that moment, Seungwan promised herself that she would do everything to provide for them and to protect them with her life.)_

                “I broke my promise. After ten years. I became lax and it was stupid of me to do so.” Seungwan’s companion stands and goes straight to her side and hugs her.

                “Seungwan,” the person whispers, “we never saw this coming. Don’t blame yourself.”

                “Chief Kim. He said that I should give up looking for her.” She scoffs. “That they’d still continue searching but that we should prepare for the worse. That stupid, cocky Heechul. He made people think I groveled on my knees for his help and then he tells me this.”  A mirthless laugh rings through the entire room.

                “It’s not a matter for the police to handle, Wan. We both know that.”

                “And yet I let myself hoped that it was.” She buries her face on the crook of her companion’s neck. “I wasted time believing that it is a normal case when in fact, I knew he found us.” The hug tightens, and Seungwan slowly melts to the comfort and warmth of it. “Now, I’ve decided what to do.”

                “You know I’d be here for you whatever happens, right?” Seungwan smiles.

                “Yeah, of course Joohyun- _unnie_ , and I love you for that.”

* * *

                The chirping birds were the first ones to register in Nayeon’s hearing when she wakes up from her dreamless sleep, the sunrays hitting her face. She blinks her sleep away, and she realizes that she’s in her bed with her pajamas on. She sits up, confused.

                _I don’t remember reaching home._

She looks at her clock. _6:37AM_. She then notices the cup of water and aspirin beside it.

_In case you wake up with lingering headaches. -Yoona_

                She smiles because of the note and because she doesn’t feel any headache anymore. In fact, for the first time since the start of the trimester, she feels refreshed. She then gets up to freshen herself to for today.

                An hour or so later, she goes down to the kitchen and sees a plate of kimbap and a cup of hot chocolate on the table, the same set of breakfast Yoona places every day. This time, instead of ignoring it, she goes to the kitchen and sits at the table while looking for her sister. She shrugs and grabs a pair of chopsticks to eat. Tuna kimbap, she muses, and she smiles.

                “Oh, hello,” a timid voice comes from behind her. “I hope you’re feeling better. Your bag is at the couch.” Nayeon turns around in time to see her sister go out of the room to the front of their shop.

                “Wait,” Yoona halts and turns around, “aren’t you gonna eat?” She sees Nayeon pull a clean plate from the kitchen and put some kimbap before sitting again. “It’s too early to do anything.” She remains standing there, unsure of what to make of Nayeon’s sudden conversation with her.

                Nayeon must’ve noticed her hesitation, because she slowly stands and approaches her. “ _Unnie_ , I just realized something.”

                “And what would it be?” Yoona finds herself asking, her eyes widening slightly after being called _unnie_. _After so long._

“Life’s too short.” Nayeon pauses, and Yoona nods for her to continue. “One day we live, then we die. We might die not being able to do the things we should do and should’ve done.”

                “What’s gotten into you?” She scrunches her eyebrows. “Are you still sick?” She steps forward to check Nayeon’s temperature by the hand.

                “ _Unnie,_ I love you, despite…despite the years. I hope you know that.” She looks at Nayeon’s genuinely soft eyes at her confession, and she smile. The hand that was on Nayeon’s forehead touches her cheeks affectionately.

                “Of course, Nayeonnie. And I’ve always loved you.” With that, Nayeon grabs her older sister’s wrist and leads her to the kitchen table to eat.

                She ignores that weird girl that was by the corner of their living room for some reason. She was crying, and a chain was connected to her chest.

* * *

                Jeongyeon walks in their school grounds slowly, hiding her necktie by closing her school blazer buttons. Her eyes are trained to the ground, not minding if there is anybody in front of her. Not that there was any, she thought to herself, it was too early for students to come to school now.

                She sighs, clenching the helm of her blazer’s sleeves, refusing to look anywhere because it reminds her too much of Chaeyoung and it hurts her too much.

                It was not a good Friday, she thinks.

                She halts and looks up at the sky, breathing in the cool autumn breeze to calm herself down.

                “You’re early.” A voice startles her. She looks ahead to see Sana standing by the fountain, bag on her shoulder. “In all honesty I thought I won’t see you until next week.” Sana tilts her head, concern lacing her voice. Despite feeling depressed and sad, Jeongyeon musters the best smile she can. Sana internally cringes with how fake it looked, but she doesn't comment.

                “Can’t afford moping around anymore.” She answers casually. “I…I don’t think it’ll benefit me that much. Besides, Chaeyoung ... Chaeyoung wouldn't want to see me like that.” She chuckles, and she gets a hum from Sana as a response. They stay silent for a while, relishing the silence that the school is having at early this morning.

                She is suddenly aware of Sana’s eyes on her and it makes her feel like she’s being scrutinized. Sana, on the other hand, doesn’t know what to say to the older girl who looks so tired behind that cheeky smile she’s having.

                “Why are you early, anyway?” Jeongyeon asks, breaking the silence.

                “I needed to fill up papers for the Dance club since our Ten-oppa can't do it for some reason and Momo, well you know her.” Sana shrugs and she opens her bag to rummage for something. “Before I forget, here. Jihyo handed it to me yesterday.” She takes a pink necktie from her bag and hands it to Jeongyeon.

                “That's mine.” She unbuttons her blazer to remove the blue necktie that is hanging around her neck.

                “Yeah, and that,” Sana points to the blue necktie now in Jeongyeon's hands,  “is Jennie- _sunbae_ ’s. Make sure to return it today.” Jeongyeon nods while she wears her own necktie and she puts the blue necktie on her bag. She looks back at Sana, who still has that scrutinizing look on her face.

               Sana had always been the observing one. Despite her flirty and clumsy demeanor, Jeongyeon has seen the side of Sana where she can see the very depths of your soul. The Japanese girl is friends with almost the entire student population, but not everyone knows the Sana who would quietly care for you.

                It's that care that Jeongyeon can't stand right now. Despite wanting it.

               Not wanting any confrontation, she shrugs and looks away.

                “Thanks, Satang. I’ll go on ahead then.” She smiles again, and she speedly walks past Sana before the latter can respond. Suddenly, there’s a hand on her wrist and she’s spun around, facing Sana again.

                Jeongyeon sees Sana, her face void of emotion, but her eyes raging with so much of it. She looks away, afraid of the intensity of the stare she’s receiving from her one of her best friends. She subtly flinches when she feels a hand on her shoulder. She looks back slowly to where Sana is.

                Sana starts fixing her necktie which was loosely hanged on her neck. Jeongyeon quietly observes the younger girl, admiring how she looked focused on even the simplest things she’s doing. The younger looks at her in the eye while patting her necktie and fixing her collar just like how Chaeyoung does it every morning.

                Her breath hitches,  _Chaeyoung_ , and she’s suddenly enveloped in a hug.

                “You don’t have to pretend in front of me.” Sana whispers into her ear while caressing her back. At her words, Jeongyeon’s tears suddenly starts falling, and she fiercely returns Sana’s hug. Her cries echo on the courtyard, but she doesn’t mind. Her mind only registers Sana, her hand still caressing her back and head while she hugs her wordlessly.

                It’s a good thing they’re early, Sana thinks. She didn’t want anybody else see this vulnerable side of Jeongyeon. Not even Nayeon. Not even Chaeyoung.

* * *

                “I swear! I saw the paintbrush float! No kidding!” These were the first words Nayeon hears when she reaches the corridor early this morning. She received word of Jeongyeon’s return to school and she was headed to class 3-B’s room when she hears voices from the art room.

                “Screw it, Hansol. It’s too early to scare our Lee Chan here. Besides, you’re not making any sense.” Nayeon stops and opens the door to the art room to see three boys at the middle of the room, two sophomores and a freshman, the two sophomores were the ones arguing.

                She takes a glance over of the whole room and she sees Chaeyoung at the corner of the room, a nervous look on her face. She sighs, both in exasperation and relief. _Thank goodness Chaeyoung’s here_. She silently enters the open door.

                “Do you have permission to be in the art room at this early hour?” Nayeon asks, her tone full of authority as she looks at the three boys who suddenly looks very nervous in the presence of a regarded senior.

                “Ah, Im- _sunbaenim_ , no we don’t.” One of the sophomores, Yugyeom, answered. “But Hansol here pulled me and Chan in the room because he claims he saw a paintbrush float, which is stupid.” The boy rambles before bowing his head. In her peripheral vision, she sees Chaeyoung flinch.

               "Floating paintbrushes, really?" Nayeon raises her eyebrows, subtly poiting a hard glance at the freshman ghost who refuses to look at her. “Choi, you think that’s a _legitimate_ and proper excuse to be in the art room?” Her attention turns to the other sophomore who looked like he’s about to collapse.

                “No, _sunbae_ , but please believe me! I’m saying the truth!” Nayeon sees fear in the boy’s eyes, and she feels guilty for acting not to believe him when she herself knows why there would be floating paintbrushes around.

                “Hansol, you look like you lacked the sleep.” Nayeon changes the topic to divert their attention. “I think you should go see the nurse to give you something. It’s Friday, just a few more hours and it's weekend.” She pretends to look at her watch. “And clearly, you shouldn’t make up stuff like that.” She internally cringes with her own words; aware of how hypocritical she may sound.

                “But–“ Before Hansol can say anything more, Yugyeom drags him out of the room with Chan behind them. Nayeon's eyes follow them.

                “Im- _sunbaenim_ , you look good without glasses.” Chan shyly smiles at her before rushing out of the room in embarrassment. _Eh?_

                She touches her face and she realizes that her glasses are truly not there. Her eyes widen, and she realizes further that she doesn't remember where her glasses are, and she didn’t notice them gone because her eyesight seemed to have been fixed overnight. She scrunches her eyebrows in bewilderment and confusion.

                _The hell? First math, and now this?_

                “You do really look good without glasses, _unnie_.” A voice from the corner of the room speaks up. Nayeon looks to see Chaeyoung walking towards her, a small smile on her face. “Thank you for saving my invisible butt back there.” Her smile turns wry, and Nayeon gives her a sad glance.

                “Hey Chaeng,” she says, “about what happened a few days ago, I’m sorry for …. abandoning you just like that. It was stupid of me.”

                “I get it, it’s really a shock. Even for me.” Chaeyoung gives her a sad chuckle, and Nayeon’s heart clenches seeing how Chaeyoung looks like she's given up. She sighs.

                “I don’t know anything about these ghost stuff, Chaeng. Don’t expect anything from me, but I’ll do my best. I'll help you with whatever this is.” At this, Chaeyoung’s eyes brighten, and her smile broadens. “I mean, a few days ago I don’t believe such things, but now there’s you, and weird stuff are happening around me and–“

                “Thank you, _unnie_.” Chaeyoung cuts her ramble off. “It means so much to me already.” Nayeon finds herself smiling seeing Chaeyoung’s smile brighter than earlier. “Ah, you might be la–“

                The doors suddenly shut themselves, alarming the two occupying the room.

                “What the hell?” Nayeon rushes to the door to open it. She realizes that it was locked from the outside.

                “I’ll check it out.” Chaeyoung strides towards the wall, only to bump herself to it instead of passing through just like before. "What?" Nayeon panics, even more when she sees the windows blacken themselves. Chaeyoung glances at Nayeon, wide-eyed, before inching closer to her. Instinctively, Nayeon goes in front of Chaeyoung.

                “Nayeon- _unnie_ , look.” Nayeon looks at where a fearful Chaeyoung is pointing and sees the ghost she saw at the bathroom yesterday.

                It was the same ghost that wanted to eat her, and it looks more horrible and bloody than before.

                “ _Aah, I’ve waited for you._ ” Its hollow voice resonates throughout the art room, making Nayeon shiver. “ _Don’t think that medium would save you this time._ ” Nayeon burrows her eyebrows in confusion.

                _That medium?_ She thinks. _There was somebody there yesterday?_

                “What the hell are you?” Chaeyoung’s voice shakes even though her face looks hard. The ghost simply laughs, a gust of wind suddenly attacking them.

                “ _Would it matter? When I devour you, you won’t even exist!_ ” The ghost flashes a bloody grin while it slowly makes its way towards the two. “ _Ah, too bad. Son Chaeyoung, was it?_ ” Chaeyoung stiffens, and Nayeon feels something in her shift. “ _Talk of the town, you young one. The chainless spirit._ ”

                “What do you mean by that?” It was Nayeon who asks, voice edging with anger.

                “ _Who knows? I’ll tell you._ ” The ghost twists its head, and Nayeon clenches her fist, preparing for whatever the ghost would do.

                “ _I’ll tell you when I get her!_ ” The ghost lunges, and Nayeon doesn’t know why she suddenly puts her right fist in front of her towards the ghost’s direction. She closes her eyes, waiting for the worse to happen.

                A gasp, a shriek, and nothing. Breathing heavily and with her fist still up, Nayeon slowly opens her eyes.

                The art room is back to suddenly normal; the doors are open again, it’s bright inside, and the easels and chairs weren’t out of place. There was no trace of anything that would've indicated a presence of an evil spirit of some sort. At her peripheral, she sees Chaeyoung gaping at her side, and she looks at where the spirit was looking.

                She gasps when she sees her right fist glowing blue, still in the air. She unclenches her fist and the blue glowing mist disappears. She holds her right hand slowly as if afraid that touching it would hurt her. She cradles her hand, looking aghast, and she slumps at the wall behind her while still breathing hard. The bell rings, and both girls ignore it, still shaken with what happened moments ago.

                “What the hell _unnie_? What did you just do?” She looks up at the still-gaping Chaeyoung. She simply shakes her head, clenching and unclenching her fist.

                “I don’t know, Chaeng.” Instinctively, she grabs her necklace with her left hand.

                _What the hell is going on?!_

 


	9. 8

 

* * *

                _Centuries and centuries ago, when the world has just started to grow, and civilizations were sparse, the humans and the spirits live together in peace and harmony. Spirits roam freely in the face of the earth, and humans have the capability of using their spirit and essence. There are two kinds of essences that humans can have; the light essence which comes from the sun, and the dark essence which comes from the moon. The light essence grants anybody powers over the light, water, wind, and other derivatives of it, while the dark essence gives the power over the dark, fire, and earth and its derivatives. Aside from those, all humans have the power to interact with spirits and travel to and from the earth to the spirit world. With these, civilizations grew, population rose, and peace roamed around everywhere._

_However, not everybody was happy._

_A family of dark users somewhere in the east of the world desired more power than they had._ _They started terrorizing the area they resided in, experimenting on neighbors to test how they can get more power. They killed people, from the highest to the lowest, and did the most unthinkable spells and rituals one human should never do._

_They tried to control the sun, the moon, and the spirit world._

_War broke out from the east, and it reached the entire world. Most dark users came and supported the family’s cause, and the light users fought against them. With all the spells and rituals that the family had done, it looked like a losing fight for the light._

_Seeing so much destruction, the gods got angered, and they interfered. They started taking essences away from the human population, with only a handful of people capable left. They banished the family that started everything, and they wiped the memories of those whose essences were taken away. The gates to the spirit world closed, and spirits are not allowed to roam the earth anymore, while humans cannot travel to the spirit world anymore. The war was called the “The great dimensional war”._

_Thus, the world was reborn. Countries were rebuilt, civilizations were reestablished, and people forgot about the existence of the other world. Those few who had retained their essences were warned not to make people remember, else they would be banished from the world as well. They were also tasked to send rogue spirits back to the spirit world where they belong._

_With their memory erased, people shunned them away and called them spiritists. The light users, understanding the situation, never retaliated and hid from them until they forget. The dark users, who are lesser than the light, held grudges to both the gods and the people, thus they started terrorizing people. Years later, the people would start accepting spiritists again, specifically the light users which now they call “mediums”. While they continue to fear and drive out the dark users, now called “berserkers”_

_Without ordinary people knowing, the war of the light and dark continued on everywhere. The gods are getting tired, and after the most gruesome war since the great dimensional war happened, they decided to interfere again, indirectly this time. The gods stopped the war of the 1900s and they sent out a prophecy to all spiritists–_

                “Im, what are you reading?” A deep voice whispers in her ear and Nayeon yelps in surprise, suddenly closing the book she was reading. She looks up with wide eyes, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

                “Nakamoto.” She narrows her eyes. “Uhh, nothing, silly stuff.” She mumbles, answering the question vaguely. The truth is that she sneaked out of the room when Sojung announced that their Physics teacher is out, and they have next hour and a half to themselves. She immediately rushed to the library and borrowed the first book relating to the supernatural world before going back unnoticed.

                “Well, suit yourself.” Luckily for Nayeon, her classmate drops the topic and leaves her alone. A sigh of relief escapes her mouth. She puts the book she’s been reading away, afraid that other people would notice the old hard bound book she suddenly has.

                “Didn’t think Yuta would talk to you, bunny.” An arm slings around her shoulders. “Maybe it’s because you suddenly decided to wear contacts, damn girl you’re hot.” Nayeon just let her classmates assume that she started wearing contacts today to avoid interrogations. She found her glasses on her bag a while ago and she lets it there.

                “No, that’s stupid. I’m pretty sure Nakamoto’s not like that.”

                “Then what did he want? And are you okay to go to classes today? You looked like a dying cat yesterday.” She rolls her eyes.

                “Where did you get that, Sowon? A dying cat? Have you been spending time with Eunbi Sr. lately?” Nayeon rebuffs, and she ignores the quiet “it’s Eunha” from Sojung’s mouth. “Well, he just asked something. And I’m fine, as you can see.” She waved her hand towards herself. “Yesterday was just not my day.”

                Sojung noisily drags a chair towards Nayeon, and the latter chuckles when she sees a classmate glare at their direction. She might’ve felt it, because she ducks her head when she sits down beside Nayeon and avoids the glare.

                “Are you sure? Eunha told me it must’ve been that bad if Sana just went running out their room yesterday and didn’t return since. She heard Jihyo telling their teachers that Sana came to help a senior from our class. I’m pretty sure it’s you since you’re the only one who ditched Hangeul and English.” Nayeon zones out from Sojung’s blabber and stares outside their room instead, her chin propped up on her hand, elbow on her desk.

                “Seriously, I’m fine, it’s just–” Sojung looks up in surprise when Nayeon abruptly stands up, her eyes wide while staring at the door of their room. She looks to where the gaping bunny was looking and raises her eyebrows.

                She sees a glimpse of Momo walking past their room, not even sparing a glance, which she finds weird since the said junior would always peek at their room and wave at a blushing Nayeon. From her peripheral vision, she notices Nayeon slowly sitting down, a frown marring her face.

                “Not gonna run after her?” She asks after a few beats, and Nayeon shakes her head, sad eyes looking at the board in front, her earlier mood visibly dampening.

                “She might be late for her History. Don’t want to hold her back.” Nayeon’s monotone voice makes Sojung sigh.

                “Trouble in paradise?” Nayeon doesn’t answer her.

                “I wish it was paradise.” Sojung hears after a few seconds. “I messed up. But I pushed her away, maybe it’s for the best.” Sojung scoffs but says nothing. Nayeon looks down at her desk.

                “She might be my paradise, but clearly I’m not hers.”

                Sojung swears she saw Shiah cringe because of Nayeon’s cheesiness, but both given sad subtle glances to their downhearted friend (but deep down, they think Nayeon is stupid for pushing her crush and best friend away instead of clearing things out, but they don’t tell her that).

* * *

                A stack of papers dropped in front of her snaps Jeongyeon out of her daze. She blinks for a few moments, noticing a math homework on top of it, and she looks up. Myoui Mina stands in front of her, looking everywhere but at Jeongyeon. The latter, surprised, quickly looks around to see their classmates looking at them. She spots Jihyo looking at them and she gives her a questioning glance. The younger girl just shrugs.

                “Uhm, I told Miss Hwang I’ll give you copies of the homeworks you missed.” Mina mumbles, still not looking at Jeongyeon. She sees Momo appear on the door, giving her an amused smirk, and she looks away and looks at the window instead.

                “Oh, thank you, Mina- _ssi_.” Jeongyeon smiles and grabs the papers in front of her. She puts it in her bag and pauses. She looks back at Mina, narrowing her eyes. “Mina- _ssi_ , I hope you’re not doing this out of guilt.” Mina sharply looks at her, and she sighs, knowing she just caught the younger one.

                “I–I am–I don’t–” Mina shuffles at where she’s standing and Jeongyeon chuckles in amusement. She stands and grabs the younger’s hand, baffling the latter who’s looking at their hands with wide eyes.

                “I’ll have you know, Mina- _ssi_ , that you have nothing to do with what happened.” Jeongyeon might’ve tried to give her a reassuring smile, but Mina sees the pain behind it. “And I hope you gave me copies of homeworks as a friend of mine.” Jeongyeon changes the positions of their hands to make it look like their shaking hands. “You can call me Jeong.”

                Despite all the encouraging words she’s heard from Jeongyeon (and from Momo yesterday), she couldn’t help but feel partially responsible. Seeing Jeongyeon’s small (albeit a little pained) smile, however, she decides to go with it and shove her guilt away, even for a while. ( _It’s not because she’s her crush. No, not at all. But maybe becoming friends with her and her circle would be good for her so she can make it up to them._ )

                “Hello, then you can call me Mina.” She shakes her hand with a small smile, and she prays nobody notices the faint blush on her face when Jeongyeon flashes her goody grin. The whole class gapes before going back to their own things.

                (Only Momo sees it, and she nods in understanding. She pumped her fist internally, feeling smug that she notices these things despite her friends telling her she’s stupid. She might be stupid in some things, but she claims she isn’t stupid when it comes to reading others.

                _Wait ‘til Nayeon knows–_

She stops herself and sighs. _Ugh_.)

* * *

                Chaeyoung finds herself sitting at the empty seat beside Tzuyu (She always practice making herself solid enough to be able to sit anywhere and hold objects. The mishap in the art room was a sample). Since Nayeon told her not to get out of their school grounds, she decided to sit in her class. She observes the latter who is deeply immersed in the pair work their teacher is making them do. Looking around, the spirit notices Yerim and Yewon glancing at Tzuyu from time to time. Chaeyoung thinks it’s to make sure that the latter is doing okay with the work alone. She chuckles, knowing how capable her seatmate is. Chou Tzuyu isn’t among the top for nothing.

                She turns her attention back to the Taiwanese beside her; her long, black hair on one side of her shoulders, a silver earring adorning her ears, eyes solely focused on the paper that’s about to be filled with words.

                “Woah, you’re about to fill the whole page with just one essay. Calm down.” She chuckles, even though nobody would hear her.

                As her seatmate continues to answer by herself, Chaeyoung’s thoughts drift on what happened that morning.

                Chaeyoung knew, from Jeongyeon’s stories, that Nayeon came from a spiritist family. She also knew how the senior detested that fact, creating a rift from her family. But from the events early on showed how much of an Im her _sunbae_ really is. Even the fact that Nayeon can see her solidifies it.

                _I guess Nayeon-unnie really is a spiritist like her family._ She remembers feeling pity while seeing her _unnie_ just slide down on the wall while looking at her hand in shock. She groans and buries her face in her hands. _Why does this have to happen to us?_

And then, that creepy evil spirit called her a chainless ghost.

                Chaeyoung knew nothing about this topic (and she’s pretty sure Nayeon knows the same thing as her) so everything that has happened doesn’t make sense to her. Being called something like that just made her confusion worse. She groans

                _If only I can remember what happened that day I disappeared, I’d know at least what to do. I don’t even know if I’m dead or not._

“ _Hey, it’s the chainless ghost!_ ” A shaky voice snaps her out of her stupor. She turns her head sharply to the door, and there she sees two ghosts standing there. Both ghosts, a boy and a girl, looked young with their uniform on, the same uniform they wear, with yellow neckties on. They both have metal chains on their chest.

                “Hey!” She stands up, alerting the two. She reels back when she sees them step back, looking at her with a mixture of fear and false bravado.

                “ _We–we’re not scared of you!_ ” The boy says, and Chaeyoung tilts her head in confusion.

                “Like I’m gonna do anything.” She steps carefully, looking around at her classmates unaware of their presences. “I just wanna ask something.” A foot forward, and the girl ghost pass through the door slightly, still looking at her with fear. She just decides to stay put. “Please don’t run, I’m just a confused…ghost.” She cringes, not liking the roll of her tongue with the word ghost.

                “ _I–I–we don’t know anything!_ ” The boy stutters, and Chaeyoung finds herself groaning in frustration.

                “Look, I just want to know why you call me a–” she steps forward quickly, and the two ghosts scream before running out of the room “–chainless ghost–damn it!” She slams the desk nearest to her, which was Yerim’s desk, and the latter screams in fright. Chaeyoung retracts her hand in shock and in horror.

                “Kim! What is it?” Their teacher asks, and Yerim stands in shock.

                “It was not me, I swear!” Chaeyoung runs out of the room to avoid anymore mishaps before she can hear what her teacher had to say.

                (After the commotion, Tzuyu finds herself staring at the front of Yerim’s desk, where Chaeyoung was standing a while ago.)

* * *

                “Sana, how did you move on from Jeongyeon?” Juice squirts out from Sana’s mouth and nose, and Nayeon scrunches her face in disgust. “Ew Sana! What the hell?”

                “It’s your fault!” Sana snaps back while wiping her face and neck while glaring at Nayeon. “You just have to ask that kind of question while I’m drinking juice.” She removes her school blazer and whines. “My coat has juice on it! You clean this!”

                “How did you move on from Jeong?” Nayeon repeats her question.

                “Have I told you that you look good without glasses?”

                “Sana.” Seeing her friend not backing down, Sana sighs and puts her coat down. They both turn to look at Jeongyeon, who’s currently in line with Mina at the cashier with food on their tray, a small smile on their lips while talking.

                “Mina sure likes Jeong a lot.”

                “Who doesn’t?”

                “You, apparently. You had your eyes on Momo ever since.” Nayeon shoves Sana playfully and the latter laughs. They continue eating, with Sana seemingly ignoring Nayeon’s question. Nayeon is about to open her mouth.

                “You knew I liked her since middle school.” Sana cuts her off. “You and Momo had always known.

                “When you moved up and transferred in the high school department, I gathered my guts to confess. I prepared for it so much, with a letter, flowers, food, and all that stuff. Everything. Jihyo knows this, she helped me after all.” Sana chuckles, and Nayeon nods for her to continue, and the former sighs.

                “And so, I did. It was a pretty private affair. Jeongyeon and I, Jihyo, Momo, Eunha, Joy, we were the only ones there. After I said it, Jeongyeon just stared at me, that creepy smile still not leaving her face.” Sana scoffs, and she looks back at Jeongyeon who had just paid for her food.

                “You know what she told me afterwards?” She glances at Nayeon who was so focused on her, and she sighs. “She told me, that she’s not who I’m looking for. What kind of an answer is that?” She sees Nayeon’s confused face and she chuckles. “She then told me that we should remain friends, and strangely, I accepted the rejection easily.” She hums in thought. “Or maybe she just confused me.”

                “Jeong and Chaeng, they have a weird way of doing and saying things.” Nayeon muses, her eyes still on Sana.

                “They do, and that’s what made them special.” Sana chuckles. “So, to answer your question,” Sana sees Jeongyeon and Mina headed to their direction and she sits up straight, sending them a smile. Nayeon sees it, the glint in Sana’s eyes when she smiled at Jeongyeon. She widens her eyes in realization.

                “You haven’t.” She whispers. Sana hears her and gives her a sad smile.

                “No, not really. Not completely, but I’m headed there.” Jeongyeon sits beside her while Mina sits on her opposite, next to Nayeon. They exchange polite greetings before eating.

                At her peripheral, Nayeon sees Momo beside Dahyun and Tzuyu, laughing with Dahyun as Tzuyu shakes her head. A smiling Chaeyoung sits with them silently, unseen by the three. Nayeon smiles a little, happy that at least Momo is having a good time.

                “You should talk things out.” Jeongyeon points out, also looking at the direction of the trio.

                “I know.” Nayeon sighs heavily. “Just, not now.”

                _Not now when I haven’t figured out my feelings, and when I’m not even sure who I am now._

* * *

                The rest of the day goes by and Nayeon finds herself packing to go out of her last class. Cheers are heard from everywhere, with club tryouts now being prepared everywhere, students running around in a hurry to set everything up. It was the second trimester, so the tryouts being held are for those who haven’t picked on anything during the first trimester or those who wanted to have a second club. Nayeon walks slowly, not in a hurry since the drama club doesn’t have anyone who would go for their tryouts.

                She walks slowly on the corridor, narrowly avoiding hurrying students. She looks around and she sees Sana prancing around the dance room on her left. She heads that way to see what the commotion was about.

                There were at least a dozen freshmen waiting for tryouts, and Sana, Jaehyun, and Ten were the only ones preparing the dance room for them. She raises her eyebrows. Sana notices her and she gives a quick wave before jogging to her direction. Sana is now wearing her training clothes, a simple yellow shirt and jogging pants.

                “Why the three of you alone?”

                “Well, SinB’s busy with track and the others tried for other clubs. We’re the only ones available but we’re okay. We just didn’t think the freshmen here are this excited to be here.” Sana chuckles and she scratches her head. Nayeon narrows her eyes.

                “Momo?” Sana licks her lips and looks at Nayeon’s eyes before sighing.

                “Well, she told me if someone asks, I should tell that person that she’s busy with softball, which is partially true, but’s it’s really not the reason why.” She waves her right hand when she sees Ten signaling her that the tryouts would start.

                “Then? Why?”

                “The dance’s room’s beside the drama club. Go figure.” Sana jogs away from her but not before patting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Nayeon looks at their club’s door and sighs, rubbing her face. It has been awkward for her especially during their joint art class when Momo decided to sit away from her and beside Jeonghan, her captain. Throughout the period, she kept stealing glances on her best friend who continually ignored her. She sighs and then heads outside to their field.

                She first notices Dahyun, Yuju, and SinB running on the track field when she reached outside. She smiles and stands for a while, observing the three sophomores. She notices Chou Tzuyu sitting by bleachers, her eyes on Dahyun. Chaeyoung’s not with them, this time.

                A sense of dread out of nowhere suddenly comes to her and she looks around to find any trace of the brunette. _I told her not to go out!_ She goes back inside, ignoring everything, and spots glowing footsteps headed outside their school to the gates.

                Despite being weirded out by the glow, she follows it. Her guts tell her it’s from Chaeyoung (She doesn’t know how, but she knows). She pushes any thought away and focuses on finding Chaeyoung. She grabs her things and heads out of the school, following the glowing steps.  _Damn!_

                A few minutes later, she realizes that the steps lead to the park near her home, and she runs, her dread intensifying. She arrives at the empty park and runs around, the steps now ending there. Her runs become frantic the more minutes pass that she doesn’t see the younger one.

                “ _Fulfill your purpose!_ ” A deep, dark voice resonates from the right of the park populated by trees. A shiver runs down Nayeon’s spine and she unknowingly gulps. Ignoring her sudden fear, she slowly jogs toward the area. She hides behind one of the trees and she peeks. The scene in front of her makes her gasp.

                Chaeyoung was there, lying face down, semi-transparent. A bulky man with a hood on and a scythe on one hand stands by her. The man had his scythe raised, about to finish the fading ghost off. Nayeon screams in horror.

                A gust of wind suddenly rushes, and the man gets thrown off where he was standing. Not having time to think about what happened and with a sudden rush of adrenaline, Nayeon runs towards Chaeyoung and tries to grab her, but her hands go through her. She grits her teeth in frustration.

                “Come on, Chaeng!” Suddenly, her hands glow a bit, and she ignores the burn she feels from it. She tries grabbing Chaeyoung again, and she sighs in relief when she succeeds. She carries Chaeyoung in a bridal position, not minding if anyone would see her. The only thought that is running on her mind is to get Chaeyoung away.

                A root suddenly emerges and trips her off, tumbling down with the unconscious ghost. She sits up and grits her teeth in pain with her now wounded knee. She looks up and sees the man with the scythe earlier, and she gapes in fright. The man, whose face hidden behind the hood, had glowing red eyes, and his body is full of ugly scars and blood. He has the foot of a bull, and Nayeon freezes in horror, realizing that the man is some kind of an evil spirit. The said spirit raises his scythe above him, and she tries to run, but she stumbles down beside Chaeyoung, her knees still bleeding from tripping earlier. She closes her eyes with tears instead and covers Chaeyoung’s fading body, ready to face her demise.

                A clank of metal, and Nayeon feels no pain. She slowly opens her eyes; Chaeyoung’s spirit was still there, and they were still at the park. Puzzled, she looks back to where the evil spirit was, and she gapes.

                The scythe that was supposed to land on them is suspended on the air, a metal that looks like a katana holding it away from where they were. She glances at the holder of the katana, a flurry of black and yellow in view. The owner looks at her with worried blue eyes, checking if she was okay, and gives Nayeon a sheepish smile.

                “S–Sa–Sana?!”


	10. 9

 

* * *

_“I’m sorry that it has come to this. I offer my condolences to you three.”_

_“It’s quite alright, Mrs. Im. It was unfortunate, yes, but we must carry on. My father himself told me to go on. And, moving her away from Japan to here near you is what we think is best for our daughter.”_

_“How is she by the way?”_

_“She’s…coping. Although having most of the clan wiped out by berserkers in front of her eyes isn’t really something a 13-year-old should see.”_

_“I’m sorry about that.”_

_“It’s okay. She is strong, she’ll get through that. I’ve enrolled her to school today so she can start tomorrow. It will distract her, at least.”_

_“Then, she would meet my stubborn youngest daughter soon. And I promise you, we’ll look after your daughter always.”_

_“Thank you. We owe our lives to you. My wife and I will go ahead.”_

_“Be safe, Minatozaki-kun, and don’t mention it. It’s what fellow mediums would do.”_

* * *

_“Hello. My name is Minatozaki Sana. Please take care of me.” 13-year-old Minatozaki Sana bows in front of her new classmates. She shuffles on her feet, still not used to the Korean culture. A shaky breath escapes her lips, realizing now that she’s truly alone in a foreign country, her parents opting to stay in Japan to protect the Minatozaki estate, or what is left of it since the bersekers wiped their clan in one day. She ignores the stares and harsh whispers ringing out from her new classmates._

_“Another Japanese? What’s she doing here?”_

_“I bet she’s faking her attitude.”_

_“She thinks she’s too pretty, ugh.”_

_She bows her head lower when her teacher points her where to sit, not wanting to gain more attention. A foot sticks out in her path out of nowhere and she trips, making the class roar in laughter. She looks up and stand, trying to hold her tears, and walks quickly to her seat at the back row._

_I have to be strong, for the clan._

_Still with her head down, she puts her bag on her right side and takes her notebook out. Before she can put her notebook on her desk, she sees a handkerchief and a band aid on top of it. She blinks at it and looks to her seatmate, who was simply looking at the window, looking bored. Thinking that her seatmate misplaced her things, she gently puts the hanky and band aid aside to avoid conflict and puts her notebook on top._

_“The hanky’s for you.” Startled, Sana looks up to her left and sees her seatmate looking at her with a smile, her short black hair swept up like some heartthrob. “I didn’t know how to approach you without scaring you, you looked like you have that first day blues really, so I placed it there instead for you to see. And the band aid’s for your scraped knee.” Her seatmate takes the band aid and gently peels it off before putting it on Sana’s knees. Sana simply looks on. “But I guess that was stupid of me.” Her seatmate chuckles to herself._

_“Thank you.” The Japanese smiles with a small bow._

_“Don’t mention it, and If any of those nitpicks bother you, tell me, okay Sana-ssi?” Sana looks up again to see her seatmate smiling at her warmly._

_“Okay, I’ll do that, um…”_

_“It’s Jeongyeon.”_

* * *

_She didn’t think she’d encounter such fierce bullies during her first day of middle school._

_During lunch, she’s suddenly whisked away from the cafeteria to an abandoned area at the back of their school. Without even having a breather, she’s suddenly being slapped upon by people she couldn’t even recognize._

_“You think you can get away with your fake face, huh? Think again!” She knows that she can simply sweep them out and freeze them; she was gifted with the power over ice being a medium and all. But she remained motionless on the floor and absorbed every hit on her, knowing that retaliating against humans was never a good thing. She closes her eyes and cries, praying for anybody to help her get away._

_Anybody, please help me._

_“Yah!” There was a shout, and suddenly she’s lifted to her feet. A warm body suddenly hugs her protectively and she slowly opens her eyes. She’s greeted with the sight of her assailants bowing on the floor, three girls glaring at them, including her seatmate Jeongyeon. She looks up and sees an unfamiliar smiling face looking at her worriedly._

_“I’m Momo, from the other class. Don’t be scared.” She whispers. “Are you okay?” Sana only nods, her eyes shining from unshed tears, relief flooding her whole being._

_“Jihyo, call Miss Ahn. Tell her these good-for-nothing kids are bothering the new girl.” The girl beside Jeongyeon, probably Jihyo Sana thinks, runs back to the school building._

_After the teachers sent the bullies to the office, the four girls assist an injured Sana to the school infirmary. They wordlessly watch her as the nurse patch her wounds and bruises up. She looks up at them when they are out of the room._

_“Thank you.” She bows so low, and the girls chuckle._

_“Hey, you don’t need to thank us like that.” A girl touches her chin and lifts her up to look at them. “Those nitpicks really need to stop, seriously, and we’re sorry you had to go through this.” Sana looks at her bowtie, and judging from the color of hers, the girl was older than her._

_“Ah, s–s–sunbae, it’s okay.” She stutters, still not used to the Korean language. Her eyes look on the floor, and a hand lands on her shoulders._

_“Hey, it’s not okay. You’re not supposed to go through that.” The one who was hugging earlier cuts her off. “And, don’t be shy with us, Sana-chan. You know, I’m Japanese too.” She looks at her, Momo, she remembers her name, and she smiles. “Let’s introduce ourselves formally? Hi, I’m Hirai Momo, from 7-C.”_

_“Yoo Jeongyeon, from your class 7-A. You know me.” A chuckle._

_“I’m Park Jihyo, 7-B, also freshman representative, so if you need something, call me.” The girl named Jihyo smiles at her warmly._

_“And I’m Im Nayeon. 8-A. Yes, I’m older.” Sana perks up with the name and she looks at Nayeon, a smile adorning the older one’s face. “But don’t call me sunbae, okay?”_

_Im Nayeon._

_Seeing their friendly faces, Sana suddenly feels overwhelmed with the friendly atmosphere and she can’t help but smile at them, her cheeks puffing up._

_“I’m Minatozaki Sana. From 7-A. Please take care of me.” Maybe, she thinks, moving out from Japan for her safety isn’t such a bad idea._

_(“Remember, we owe our lives to the Ims, Sana, and you know our clan code.” Her father smiled to her before he and her mother left for Japan. She smiles back._

_“Yes. We protect them with all of our lives.”)_

* * *

Nayeon gapes at Sana, who was still in her yellow shirt and black pants, her dance training outfit, panting and sweating like she ran a marathon a while ago. The junior looks at her sheepishly.

                “I swear I’ll explain everything. After kicking this darkee out.” Sana kicks the evil spirit she was blocking on its torso, and it grunts. Recovering immediately, it roars at her, the scythe raised above its head. She holds her katana in front of her.

                “Good thing I followed you here.” A slash. “Dubu told me you just ran away–” a block with the katana “–after minutes of arriving at the field.” Another kick and the spirit grunts. “I swear you run like you’re in a zombie apocalypse.” A final stab and suddenly the katana and the spirit are slowly covered in ice. Nayeon looks on with fear and awe.

_So, this was what she was hiding all along._

With a grunt, Sana twists her katana, the ice breaking, earning a pitiful shriek from the evil spirit before it disintegrates. She looks back at Nayeon with her eyes fading from blue back to its original brown color, putting away her katana. Nayeon watches in awe and in fear as the weapon disintegrates into small, blue particles.

                “Oh no! Your knee!” Sana rushes to Nayeon’s side, but the latter, who returns from her stupor, shakes her head vehemently.

                “Don’t worry about me! Look at her first!” Nayeon points to Chaeyoung, who was still flickering in and out, unconscious. Sana looks at her with an unreadable expression. Nayeon sees her hesitate. “What are you hesitating for!?”

                “Nayeonnie–”

                “Look, I just found her like this and I don’t know what happened.”

                “ _Unnie–_ ”

                “And now she’s unconscious and I really don’t know what to do and now you’re here and–”

                “Nayeonnie, there’s no one with you. There’s nobody there.” Sana says while shaking her head and Nayeon cuts her own rant off, looking at the still unconscious Chaeyoung then looking back at Sana incredulously.

                “What?”

                “You were alone when I got here. There’s no one there.” Sana carefully says, watching her best friend’s expression flicker from confusion, to incredulity, and finally to rage.

                “What do you mean you can’t?!” Nayeon surprises Sana when she suddenly grabs her collar. “Aren’t you like Yoona- _unnie_?! A spiritist or whatever?!”

                “A medium, yes.”

                “Then why!?” Nayeon grabs Sana closer, the latter flinching with the older girl’s volume.

                “ _Unnie_ , calm down–”

                “How can I calm down?! You can’t see her! You can’t see Chaeyoung!” Nayeon feels Sana freeze, but she goes on. “Why can’t you?! You’re a spiritist, medium, whatever! You should see her! Why am I the only one seeing her?” Nayeon lets go of Sana and she cries, hope diminishing. “She’s like, flickering and I don’t know what to do.” Sana snaps out in alarm.

                “Chaeyoung?! Flickering?! That’s not good.” She rises and goes to the area where Nayeon was pointing. She crouches, still looking at Nayeon who stopped crying. 

                “What are you doing?” Nayeon’s tear-stained face stares at Sana.

                “I might not be able to see her, but you can, and she needs help.” Sana’s hands glow light blue and Nayeon flinches in surprise. Sana apologizes in her head, before her hands start to look the invisible Chaeyoung.

                “You might not know, but spiritists have the ability to touch a spirit, unseen or not.” She lets her hand sweep the area until she hits a soft spot. “Here!” She cries. “Chaeyoung’s really here!” Her right hand squeezes what she touched, and Nayeon gapes in horror.

                “Sana, that’s her butt!”

                “I’m sorry! I can’t see it!” Sana lets go, her face still filled with relief and awe. “Chaeyoung’s here, with us!”

                “Yes! And she’s flickering! Snap out of it Sana!” Nayeon snaps, accidentally hitting her wounded knee and she yelps. That seems to snap Sana out.

                “Oh no, I forgot about that! Call Yoona- _unnie_ , tell her to come here. I can’t carry you and Chaeyoung at the same time.” Sana goes back to finding where Chaeyoung is while Nayeon dials on her phone.

                “I got her!”

                “Sana, that’s her boobs!”

* * *

                “So, you’re telling me,” Yoona uncrosses her arms and gesture to Nayeon’s bed, “that your friend Chaeyoung is actually here, sleeping on your bed?” Nayeon nods, not meeting her _unnie_ ’s eyes, her knee properly bandaged. “And Sana,” she looks at the junior, “you did a recharge spell on her without even seeing her because she’s flickering?” Sana nods. Yoona turns to Nayeon again. “And you’ve been seeing Chaeyoung since Wednesday?” Nayeon nods slowly. “And you didn’t tell me.”

                “I didn’t even know what was happening myself, and it’s not like I can just say “hey _unnie_ , I can see ghosts now”, can I?” Nayeon slouches further into her seat opposite her bed. “I was so confused, and in pain, really. I didn’t know what to do.” Yoona pinches her nose in frustration.

                “She looked so bad the past few days, we didn’t know what was happening.” Sana butts in. “She even collapsed yesterday.” Her face lights up. “Ah, now I get why you were looking at the corner of the infirmary while crying. I knew someone was there.”

                “You just can’t see.” Nayeon fills in, and Sana nods sadly.

                “I think I felt her so many times, you know. I felt her near the computer room that day I ran out, the bathroom too when that evil chomper almost ate you–“

                “It was you that time? That bright light?” Nayeon eyes her curiously, and she nods. Nayeon hears Chaeyoung groan and her attention snaps to the moving lump on her bed. She walks slowly towards the bed, careful with her injured knee. Sana and Yoona look on curiously.

                Chaeyoung opens her eyes slowly, squinting when a bright light invades her sight. She rubs her eyes and slowly sits up.

                “Hey Chaeng.” A voice beside her pips in, and she looks to see Nayeon smiling at her. She notices Sana and Yoona standing at the foot of the bed she’s in. Nayeon notices her questioning gaze.

                “You’re in my bedroom.” She answers the cub’s unsaid question. Chaeyoung furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

                “How did I get in? I couldn’t go in your house no matter how much I try before.” Nayeon raises here eyebrow. “And why are they not freaking out?” Chaeyoung gestures towards the two other ladies calmly standing in the room by the foot of the bunny. Nayeon laughs.

                “What’s funny, bunny?”

                “Chaeng just asked why you’re not freaking out.” Sana chuckles and nods in understanding. She kneels beside Nayeon.

                “Chaeyoung, I,” she shakes her head, unsure of what to say. Chaeyoung widens her eyes, hopes suddenly rising. “To be honest, Yoona- _unnie_ and I can’t see nor hear you.” Chaeyoung deflates. “But we’re here to help, the three of us here.”

                “How are you gonna do that, Sana- _unnie_?” Chaeyoung asks, and Nayeon repeats it for the other two. Sana sighs and she tries to grab Chaeyoung’s hands but went against doing it.

                “I’ve been hiding this from you for a long time.” She stands and looks at the wall. “You already know I went to Korea alone for my safety, but it’s just the scratch of why I’m really here.

                “When I was ten years old, my clan was murdered.” She shudders, and the other girls hold their breath. “They were all killed right in front of my eyes. All they left was me and my parents. They said it was a warning to all medium clans from the berserkers.” She closes her eyes.

                “Sana, you don’t have to–”

                “I was the heir to the clan. I was supposed to be the most powerful medium among the family. I was raised to be one. But now I’m here in Korea, for my safety, hiding from Japanese berserkers.” She turns around, facing Nayeon and the others who were still listening intently. “And my family and I owe our lives to the Ims. Had they not interfered, we would have been dead, all of us.” She smiles at the baffled Nayeon and smiling Yoona.

                “I am a medium, Chaeyoung, and it’s my duty to help spirits.” She smiles, although it's directed somewhere besied Chaeyoung, and Chaeyoung still smiles in return. “So, I will help you however I can as far as my abilities can allow me. Now, tell us how you got in the park with that darkee.”

                “Darkee…?” Nayeon and Chaeyoung asks at the same time.

                “A darkee is a dark familiar-like spirit. They’re made of a part of the dark essence of the owner of said darkee.” Nayeon nods in understanding, having read about essences earlier, while Chaeyoung looks more lost. Nayeon gives her an “I’ll explain later” look.

                “How did I get the park though? I thought I was by the track field…?” She scratches her head in confusion, trying to remember what exactly happened. Her eyes light up. “Ah, I– ”

                _Chaeyoung sits beside Tzuyu by the bleachers beside the track field, intent on cheering Dahyun who looked down the past few days. When the race between the track members starts, Chaeyoung stands to see the race clearly–_

_–and suddenly she’s in the park near Nayeon’s home._

_She remains there, blinking in confusion, and she looks around. Confusion settles in when she sees nobody around the usually busy park. Suddenly, a growl resonates from behind her, and she freezes. She slowly turns around when she sees a towering shadow in front of her._

_There’s a big man towering her, a scythe in his hands, his face covered with a hood._

_“I have come for you,” it’s disembodied voice sends shivers down Chaeyoung’s spine. “This is your end!”_

                “And then nothing.” Chaeyoung blinks. “Hey I remembered it. But how did I get in here?”

                “Congrats for remembering.” Nayeon says, and she relays everything to the others.

“Wait, you couldn’t get in?” Yoona asks.

“Yeah, _sunbae_ , some sort of barrier was keeping me out the whole time.” Yoona’s eyebrows furrow the second Nayeon relays Chaeyoung’s words.

“But, we have no barriers set in.” There was silence, confusion running in their minds. They all sat there in their own worlds.

“ _Unnie_ , why am I the only one seeing her anyway?” Nayeon asks suddenly

                Yoona looks at her and at Sana, who only shrugs in return. “We don’t know either. There’s so much we don’t know, and Chaeyoung- _ssi_ ’s the embodiment of my confusion. I wish mom’s here, she knows so much.” Yoona gives Nayeon a tight smile. “I’m surprised you’re taking this very well.” Everybody’s attention lands on Nayeon.

                “No, not really.” Nayeon sighs. “Having bad headaches and waking up suddenly being able to see clearly, breeze math, and see ghosts wasn’t on my mind.” She stands up and walks toward her sister. “This might be too late, but I want to apologize, for everything. And I have so many questions, I feel so confused and I don't know who to turn to but to you.” She bows her head, and Yoona smiles, a hand on her younger sister’s shoulders.

                “We’ll give you some space to talk.” Sana, who was already at the door, says. “Let’s go out Chaeyoung.” The freshman, seeing Sana looking at the spot beside her, chuckles. She nods and stands, but her legs wobble, still weak from the incident at the park earlier.

                Nayeon quickly catches her, her hands glowing light blue. Instead of just passing through Nayeon, Chaeyoung actually leans into the senior, her arms supported by the older girl’s glowing arms. The other two girls gape at them.

                “You’re such a natural, Nayeon. You’ve already learn how to hold ghosts.” Sana comments, and before she can go on, she and Yoona watches in awe as a small body slowly materializes, said body being held by Nayeon.

                Yoona widens her eyes, and Sana’s breath hitches. Nayeon and Chaeyoung look at them in confusion, unsure of what happened.

                “Chainless…”

                “Chaeyoung!” Sana rushes to Chaeyoung and looks over at her, tears streaming down. The younger girl gapes at her. “You’re really here!” She slowly goes to grab the younger girl’s hand with her own glowing hands. “But you’re really a ghost. You’re dead.” With realization settling in, Sana cries more, now in fear rather than relief. Chaeyoung gives Sana a sad smile, and she places her other hand on top of Sana’s. Nayeon eyes them sadly, before looking at her still frozen sister.

                “Yoona- _unnie_ …?”

                “Nayeon, why didn’t you tell me she’s chainless?” The eldest says with a voice above a whisper, and Nayeon and Chaeyoung freezes, completely forgetting that fact.

                “Am I supposed to?” Nayeon squeaks, unsure of what to make with Yoona’s astonished face.

                “Yes, you’re supposed to.” Yoona rushes near them and hovers her hands over an apprehensive Chaeyoung. Her hands stop over the ghost’s chest and she looks at her eyes, a smile on her face, her eyes lighting up with hope Chaeyoung can’t help but feel.

                “Chaeyoung, dear, you’re chainless because you’re not dead. Your body is still alive.”


	11. 10

 

* * *

_(“I hate my life.” 15-year-old Nayeon suddenly blurts out. She, Sana, and Momo were hanging out at Momo’s house. It was a summer weekend, and they don’t know what to do so they simply stayed indoor at the comfort of Momo’s bed and air conditioning._

_Nayeon had an argument with Yoona. Again. Momo found her sulking by their front door, a clueless Sana sitting with her._

_“Why do you say so, Nabongs? You look fine to me.” Momo tells her, her back against the head board of her bed. “You’re in a nice school, and you’re about to graduate middle school. Your family is financially stable–”_

_“And they are swindlers, I tell you.” Nayeon cuts her off, blowing her bang off. She sits beside Sana on the floor, who’s currently lying down while drawing on her notebook._

_“Why do you think so?” Sana asks, not looking away from her drawing. Nayeon sighs._

_“Haven’t I told you? They run a store for ghost-related stuff. How is that not swindling?” She huffs, crossing her arms on her chest._

_Sana perks up, and she switches into a sitting position facing the older girl. Hey eyebrow raises, surprised with Nayeon’s statement._

_“You don’t believe what they’re doing?”_

_“She doesn’t just not believe it. She hates it.” Momo answers for her. “But it’s not like that the only source of income your family has. Your mom is a physical therapist. That’s normal. And Yoona-unnie’s about to go to college on the other side of Seoul.”_

_“But they still do it. Gosh, Momo, they fool people. I refuse to take part of that.” Nayeon spats._

_Sana drones their conversation and goes back to her drawing, ignoring the slight hurt she felt when Nayeon expressed so much disgust on what she has grown up with. She feels hurt, especially when Nayeon is being insensitive about it. She may spat on her family’s legacy, but Nayeon will never understand. Not when Sana’s whole clan was murdered in front of her. Not when berserkers haunt her everytime._

_She shuts her eyes, trying to prevent tears from falling, and she rushes out of Momo’s room.)_

_Sana sighs at that memory. She looks back as Nayeon’s home disappear from her sight, her driver turning right headed to her own home after dropping a sick Nayeon to her home._

_She remembers Nayeon apologizing that day when she returned to Momo’s room after crying and fixing herself, not knowing why exactly she walked out and cried. It was for politeness, Sana thought to herself, but she couldn’t spite someone who is ignorant of her situation and her world. She simply smiled to the senior, telling her it was nothing._

_Nayeon knew it wasn’t nothing, and Sana is thankful that she doesn’t bring the spiritist topic up, at least when she’s around. Sana believes Nayeon is not an unbeliever of her family’s legacy, if that wasn’t the case then why would Nayeon avoid the topic when Sana walked out on them? Or maybe the older girl was just being sensitive with her friend. Whatever the reason is, Sana just attributes it to Nayeon’s ignorance and closed spiritual eyes. She sighs deeply, shaking her head from too much thinking_

_“It looks like Miss Nayeon is having a hard time recently.” Her driver, Mister Choi, snaps her out of her thoughts and she straightens her back against the backseat._

_“Yes. She’s probably confused, too.” Sana answers, and she looks outside the car window, her chin propped up with her hand. “That’s why she’s pushing us away even more.”_

_“It’s because she doesn’t know you’re a medium yourself.”_

_“Yeah, but she doesn’t open up to Yoona-unnie too. She’s just scared since her beliefs are suddenly being tested.” She chuckles. “I couldn’t believe it at first, that time. An Im who has her eyes closed.”_

_“Wells, it’s being opened now, and in the most painful way, too.” Mister Choi comments as he parks the car by the curb, unlocking the doors. “The ghost she’s seen must’ve been so desperate. A proclaimed unbeliever, too, at that.”_

_“Whoever the ghost is, he or she must be special for me not to see even though he or she was just at the corner of the school infirmary.” Sana sighs and opens the car door. She heads straight to the door and to the living room. She drops her bag on the sofa and takes a deep breath before going into the dojo behind her house, which her parents set up for her._

_She lets her katana materialize, and, without changing from her school uniform, began to train her sword skills. After a while, she walks and plops in front of the altar further into the room. She looks up at the scroll set on top of it and at the double spear hung up on the wall._

_“Denial days are over, Nayeonnie.” Sana says to herself with conviction._

* * *

“All this time? You knew about…this medium stuff?” A nod. “And your family has sworn to protect our family because mom saved you.” Another nod. “That’s the most preposterous thing I’ve heard in my entire life, Sana” Nayeon stares at Sana incredulously. The latter frowns. “But it makes sense.” The senior adds.

Nayeon, Sana, and Chaeyoung were still in the former’s bedroom. Yoona left them a while ago to tend to a customer. They all sat on the floor in a circle.

“I mean, you were clingy ever since we save you from those nitpicks during middle school. I thought it was because you’re afraid of being in a new environment and all that yada yada as a transfer student. Then you got clingier with me when we reached high school.” Chaeyoung snorted.

“Snake.” Chaeyoung smirks. Sana glares at her.

“Shut up, kitty. Respect your _sunbae_.”

“But you, _sunbae_ , touched my butt. And my boobs.”

“It was an accident!”

“Anyway,” Nayeon clears her throat, stopping the two girls from bickering further. “As I was saying, you were so clingy. I thought you liked me, until you accidentally told me you like Jeong.”

“I knew you were a narcissist _unnie_ , but really?” Sana snorts. “Yeah, I was stupid that time, I kept tripping in front of her the whole day.”

“I didn’t know you like my _hyung_. I have blackmail material.”

“She already knows, Chaeng, and she rejected me. You have nothing against me.”

“Taxi.” Chaeyoung says with a poker face and Nayeon snorts. Sana’s face contorts in horror.

“No, I take back what I said.” The two other girls laugh at a horrified Sana’s expense. When their laughter died down, they stay silent for a while, relishing each other’s company.

Sana stares at the ghostly Chaeyoung and she can’t help but frown. It’s been days since the freshman went missing, and not even Jeongyeon knew what exactly happened. Seeing the younger girl as a ghost after four days didn’t sit well with her, especially when Jeongyeon told them that Seungwan told her the police had given up on finding Chaeyoung alive.

“We’ve got to find your body Chaeng.” She whispers, earning the attention of the two other occupants of Nayeon’s room. “I don’t like seeing you like this.”

“I don’t like it too, _unnie_ , but how are we gonna do it?” Chaeyoung shakes her head. “I couldn’t even remember what happened that day. It’s been four days.”

“Your body is alive, so it might be easier for us. Don’t worry, leave it to the us mediums, right Nayeonnie?” At Sana’s prompt, Nayeon flinches, reminded of what has happened to her for the past few days. Noticing the mood shift, Sana shuts her mouth and shrugs apologetically.

It has been a rollercoaster, Nayeon thinks. From somebody loathing the idea of ghosts and spirits, here she is, suddenly a medium with powers and abilities she can never imagine. A part of her still denies everything, but she knows deep inside that she must face the fact that she has truly become one. She clenches her fist, feeling her spirit thrumming through it.

“It’s a shock, isn’t it?” Sana asks carefully. “I’m sorry you had to open your eyes like this.” She checks the clock at Nayeon’s wall clock and she stands up, dusting herself off. “Well, it’s late. I better get going.” She passes by Chaeyoung and Nayeon. She pats Nayeon’s shoulder, and tries to ruffle Chaeyoung’s hair, but her hand goes through. Nayeon snorts, and Chaeyoung ducks her head in embarrassment.

“ _Unnie_ can’t you stay?” Chaeyoung, with her head still down, asks. “It’s just that…it’s been four days since I had human interaction, and I’m scared. What if that bad black thing goes after us?” Chaeyoung looks up with glistening eyes at Sana and the latter coos. The older girl’s hand glows blue and she successfully ruffles the cub’s hair.

“You’re so cute even if you’re like this.” Sana sighs. “But, really, I should go. I still have to meet up with Dahyun tomorrow and–”

“What?” ”Dahyun- _unnie_?” Nayeon and Chaeyoung asks at the same time, and Sana zips her mouth. She sees the glint in Nayeon’s eyes and she gulps.

“Are you seriously flirting with my favorite sophomore right now?” Nayeon wiggles her eyebrows, teasing Sana who’s gaping at her.

“What? No! She’s asking help for her Geometry homework!” Sana waves her hands in defense.

“Since when are you good at Math, _unnie_?” Sana looks at Chaeyoung’s innocent eyes, and she’s unsure if the cub is being real or she’s just teasing her. Sana thinks it’s the former, the cub not knowing how to throw a good teasing at times.

“Don’t underestimate me. I got A+ in all my Maths until last trimester.”

A knock on the door grabs their attention and it opens. Yoona peaks slowly inside with a smile, looking around to see if the younger girls were doing fine. She looks back at the three girls who are looking at her expectantly.

“Dinner’s ready.” She turns to Sana. “And you should stay for the night. I told Mister Choi already.” Yoona turns around and they all stand to follow, but before the elder can fully leave, she turns back to the girls still at the room.

“If you need pretty dresses for your date, I’ll gladly lend you one.” She turns back again and Nayeon snickers before heading out of her room. Chaeyoung howls with laughter and Sana whines while following the older girl out.

* * *

Tzuyu chews her gum while she reads her required articles for her Psychology class. Friday nights had always been a boring night for her during her shift in the convenience store near their home. She sits casually, occasionally moving to write an important note or highlight necessary quotes.

The days have been a blur to her this week with school and her part-time job on her sched. She’s been doing everything to distract herself, but one look at the missing poster at the store’s glass makes her want to cry then and there.

_It’s been four days._

The bell rings, and a customer enters. Tzuyu straightens up and pulls her cap closer to her face. She quietly observes the new comer who had a cap and facemask on. She shrugs and continues to read when she senses no ill will from the person. After a few moments, some food items were placed in front of her and she robotically scans them to check out.

“I didn’t know you work here, Tzuyu- _ssi_.” A loud but sweet voice interrupts her and Tzuyu looks up in surprise. She sees the same customer who just entered in front of her. Said customer removes the facemask she’s wearing, and Tzuyu widens her eyes.

“P–Park- _sunbaenim_! What are you doing here?” Jihyo sees Tzuyu’s surprised expression and she chuckles.

“To buy food of course.” Jihyo leans closer as Tzuyu leans back. “You do know I live nearby, right?”

“Uhh…no?”

“Thought so.” Jihyo chuckles again. “But I haven’t seen you in here. When did you start working here?” Tzuyu gives her a sad glance.

“Last trimester ago. With Chaeyoung.” The younger girl looks back at the items she’s scanning, avoiding Jihyo’s sympathetic eyes. “It’s her shift today and I’m covering hers for this week.” She hears a quiet ‘oh’ from her customer.

“You must’ve been pretty close.” Jihyo’s voice becomes quieter. The freshman only nods as an answer, her mood suddenly down.

Jihyo knew the freshman duo. An odd pair, people would say, a pair that was only brought together because of competition and academics. Yet, Jihyo has observed them with caring eyes, and has seen the sincerity from each other. Tzuyu might not show it since the Taiwanese doesn’t show emotions that much, but Jihyo has seen the small smiles she has whenever she and Chaeyoung (and Dahyun, later) were together.

Sensing Tzuyu’s mood shift, she puts a chocolate bar among the items she’s bought. “Add this.” Tzuyu proceeds to scan everything, the chocolate bar last.

“Don’t put it in the bag.” Tzuyu pauses. Jihyo takes the chocolate bar and wraps Tzuyu’s hand around it. “It’s yours.” Tzuyu shakes her head, eyes wide.

“ _Sunbaenim,_ you can’t possibly–”

“I insist.” Jihyo smiles and takes some bills out of her wallet and hands it out to the young cashier. “You need the energy. Your shift ends late, does it not?” Tzuyu nods.

“How did you know?”

“A guess.” Jihyo shrugs. She grabs her bag of purchase and heads out the store. “See you at school, Tzuyu- _ssi_. And smile, I’m sure Chae likes you more smiling.” The junior exits, leaving a dazed Tzuyu behind. The freshman simply stares at the door, the chocolate bar Jihyo gave still at hand. She glances at it and smiles, more genuinely than during the past few days. A tear escapes.

 _It was Chaeyoung who last gave me something_. She fiddles with her ring at her other hand. _But I don’t feel sad._ Her classmates have all given her a look of pity or sadness, but Jihyo only glanced sadly at her once before looking at her with happy, shining eyes again. She clutches the bar she’s holding and smiles, returning to her readings.

_Thank you, Jihyo-unnie._

* * *

“Don’t ghosts, you know, have something to eat?” Nayeon looks at Chaeyoung who just sat there watching them eat. The four of them quietly sat in the Im’s dining room. Sana has changed into her own clothes, convinced to stay the night after Mister Choi brought some of her prettier clothes from home.

Chaeyoung was sitting quietly at the end of the table, looking around the kitchen with fascination. She simply smiles when she sees Nayeon’s concerned look directed towards her.

“It’s fine, _unnie_ , I don’t feel hungry anyway.” She shrugs. “Or feel sleepy. Must be spirit perks.” She says to herself as an afterthought. Nayeon sighs a few moments later and she turns to her sister who’s been observing them.

“What do we do now?”

Yoona, still not used to Nayeon’s attention, puts her chopsticks down in haste in surprise.

“Well,” she sits up straight to regain her composure. “I really don’t know what to do, it’s the first time I’ve seen a true chainless ghost. But it’s best if she sticks with us, to be safe. We don’t know who sent that darkee out, or what its intention with Chaeyoung was.”

“Ah, it told me to fulfill my purpose.” Yoona raises an eyebrow in thought and Nayeon sees it. “That’s it.”

“What does that even mean?” Sana mutters.

Nayeon mulls over her thoughts before looking back at her sister who has resumed eating.

“I think you still owe me an explanation, _unnie_.” Seeing this would happen, Yoona sighs. She gently puts her utensils gently this time, and she eyes Sana. The latter, who was oblivious, continued to chew on her pineapples. Yoona clears her throat to get the junior’s attention. Realizing eyes on her, Sana shuffles on her seat.

“Oh, uh,” she stammers, “yeah, yummy pineapples.” Nayeon snorts, and Chaeyoung bows her head to hide her chortle. “I mean, I’ll take this up.” She abruptly stands with the cup of her remaining pineapples and went out of the dining area, but not before tripping herself up. Luckily, the pineapples didn’t spill. All the other girls roared in laughter, with Chaeyoung’s ringing the loudest. Sana groans and looks down in embarrassment and rushes out to Nayeon’s room.

“I’ll check her up.” After a minute, Chaeyoung stands and glides towards where Sana headed, leaving the two amused sisters behind.

“Well, where do I start?” Yoona offers a smile after the commotion.

“I,” Nayeon sighs, “I honestly don’t know where you should start.” Her face scrunch in confusion, and her sister can only offer a smile.

“Then let me start with what’s in it for you?” Nayeon simply nods. “Well, for starters, you can see ghosts, which is obvious. And, your physical senses would’ve improve. I guess you know that already.” Yoona points Nayeon’s eyes.

“Yeah, it was confusing. I actually thought I had my glasses the entire time.” Nayeon chuckles. “What else?”

“Well, your speed and stamina would’ve improved, you should be able to learn one element under the domain of water and air. Take Sana with ice for example.”

“What’s yours?” Yoona pauses and lifts her hand. Nayeon witnesses the water in her glass rise up before slowly going down. She gapes in awe.

“Yeah. They say the higher your element is in the element tree, the more powerful you are. Water and air are on the top, followed by ice and lightning, then steam, mist, so on. You get it. Ah, and you’re able to access your spiritual powers, like with Chaeyoung earlier.”

“Yeah, and I was also able to fend off a creepy bloody ghost earlier…? I think it was?” Nayeon raises her eyebrows in thought. “This has been one long day.”

“Yes, it has been.” Yoona stands to clear up the table, and her younger sister follows her. “You say you’ve been able to fend off a ghost?”

“Yeah, Sana called it a chomper.” Nayeon dumps her dishes on the sink and leans back. “I don’t know how I did it, really. Just my fist glowing blue. Chaeng didn’t see either.”

“Wow, you’re more of a natural than I thought.” Yoona dumps the other dishes on the sink before putting on gloves. Nayeon grabs a dishtowel to help. “Currently you’re a ghost-bait right now, meaning various ghost might be attracted to you, both good and bad. But I think you’ll be able to survive. Sana’s there with you, and Chaeyoung, although she needs protection more than you.”

“We’ll always be with her, but I have to adjust first. All this spirit thing in me makes me too giddy inside. But I'm sure I'll learn from the best.” Nayeon shrugs while smiling knowingly. Yoona laughs. “It’s been a while since we did the dishes together, _unnie_.”

“It has.” They continue to wash the dishes in comfortable silence. Yoona enjoys the younger’s eased presence beside her, and Nayeon misses the feeling of being at peace with her sister. However, there was something she wanted to clear with her.

“Are you still hiding something from us?” Yoona stops scrubbing the plate and looks at Nayeon. The latter only returns a warm smile. “I get it if you won’t tell. I think I get why, so don’t worry about it.” She returns to wiping the dishes dry, and Yoona looks at her in relief and happiness. She then turns the tap back on and starts scrubbing dishes again.

“Thank you, for understanding.” She whispers, her voice almost drowned by the flowing water, but Nayeon hears her nonetheless. “There are just some things that you have to learn on your own.”

* * *

“Have you always been a medium?”

“Yeah, since I can remember.”

“Do you always see ghosts? In school?”

“Yes, but I tend to ignore it if it doesn’t cause harm.”

“Are you sure you’re not a part of the yakuza?” Sana sighs.

“No Chaeyoung, how many times should I tell you that I’m not.” Sana chuckles. “Seriously, Chaengie.”

“Have you accidentally tripped while on the job?” She pauses and puts on a thoughtful look.

“I have, and I accidentally slashed a ghost’s trousers. You can imagine the chaos from there.” Chaeyoung laughs and the older girl laughs with her. They simply roll on Nayeon’s bed afterwards, lazing around while waiting for Nayeon to come up.

“ _Unnie_ , will you tell Jeongyeon about me.” Sana raises her eyebrow hearing the question. She sees Chaeyoung looking at her with hope in her eyes.

“I honestly don’t know how to approach Jeongyeon with your situation.” She carefully says, and the younger girl nods, not deterred. “I guess it’s best to keep it to ourselves first. Maybe a gesture that would tell her you’re alive.”

“A note?”

“She might think it's a prank. She's hot-headed and you know that.”

“How about moving things around her? Or passing a message from me through you?”

“No, that's worse. That’ll only make her think that you’re dead. We don’t want that.” They both sigh. “Let’s think about that later. Right now, we should think about how we’ll find your body.”

Chaeyoung nods and closes her eyes. She tries remembering what happened that night she disappeared, but all she gets is a blank slate. It’s as if her memories are being blocked.

“Hey Chaeng, don’t force yourself if you can’t remember.” Sana must’ve sense Chaeyoung’s frustration. “It should come naturally to you.”

“What if it doesn’t?” With her eyes still closed, she asks. Sana licks her lips, thinking of what to say to ease the cub.

“There are other ways, Chaeyoung. We’ll find a way to find it, and everything would go back to normal.” Sana offers a small smile, different from her playful ones, and Chaeyoung appreciates the gestures. She leans slowly, and Sana lets her shoulder glow for her to lean on. The younger girl sighs when warmth touches her.

“Thank you _unnie_. I hope it does get back to normal.” Sana smiles and leans her head on the freshman.

She ignores the nagging at the back of her mind, telling her that it will get more complicated from now on.


	12. 11

 

* * *

It’s not fun to live alone, Momo thinks. Especially when it’s weekend, when you have nothing to eat, nothing to do, and nowhere to go. So, for years of living in Seoul after her parents left for Kyoto during middle school, her weekends were mostly spent with her friends, especially with Nayeon.

                Now that Chaeyoung’s still missing, and she and Nayeon aren’t in good terms, Momo’s now spending her Saturday alone, walking along the busy roads of Seoul. She sighs to herself.

                Walking alone is fine, but she’s never felt so alone more than today.

                On normal days, she would’ve called Jihyo or Sana to hang out today. Or she would’ve head to the dance studio she used to go to during vacation. But one of thought of Nayeon joining them makes her dismiss the thought, and she’s wearing a skirt  and a blouse today so going to the studio to blow off some steam doesn’t sound like a good option right now. So, she now resorted to walking aimlessly in the early morning around the area near her home while holding her melting ice cream.

                For a good few minutes, she walks until she reaches a playground. There weren’t many children playing, so she goes to sit on one of the swings near her. She eats the remaining ice cream she has while looking at the small group of children lining up at a hotdog stand and the bench beside it and she smiles, a memory coming to mind.

                _It was a busy weekend, yet they made time to go and hang out since school’s almost over. Momo, Jihyo, Jeongyeon, Sana, and Chaeyoung sat by the benches at the park. Nayeon’s running late due to middle school graduation preparations. They decided to hangout the day before Chaeyoung’s elementary school graduation since tomorrow would be a day for the cub’s family._

_(In all honesty, the only family Chaeyoung has is Seungwan and Jeongyeon, but only a few, including Nayeon, knows that.)_

_“Nayeon-unnie is really taking too long.” Chaeyoung whines. “It’s hot and I wanna go eat bingsu.”_

_“Let’s wait for a little longer, Chaeyoung-ah, then we’ll call her. Do you want hotdogs?” Jihyo offers with her warm smile, but Chaeyoung politely declines._

_“I can’t eat if the others won’t.” Jihyo blinks, touched with Chaeyoung’s concern for the others._

_“I’m sorry! I bought ice cream!” A voice a bit far away gets their attention. They all turn to the direction of the voice to see Nayeon running towards them with a plastic bag on hand._

_“Don’t think it’s enough to appease our waiting asses here, Im.” Jeongyeon playfully snides, and Nayeon returns a playful eyeroll, the ice cream cone on her hand snatched away by Momo who was happily humming a thank you._

_“Well, if  you don’t want me to move up to high school, then I’d do anything you want.” They laugh, and Nayeon hands out the rest of the ice cream cones to them._

_And there, Momo sees it; how Jeongyeon’s fingers linger on Nayeon’s when she took her ice cream, how the younger’s soft eyes stare at her too long, her smile widening, the shy “thank you” from her lips. She pretends to focus on her chocolate ice cream, but in truth she always observes her friends. She might be stupid some things, but she knows, and she sees these kinds of things, especially when it comes to her precious friends._

_Jeongyeon likes Nayeon, Nayeon is dense. And judging from the sad stares, Sana sees it too. And Sana likes Jeongyeon._

_(Sana told her she’ll confess to the older girl when Nayeon graduates, and Momo doesn’t know why she’s telling her this, but she takes note of it in case the other Japanese girl needed help.)_

_Momo then takes a glance at Jihyo and Chaeyoung who silently ate their share of ice cream, and she smiles fondly. She then thinks about her own feelings and emotions. She doesn’t know when she had these kinds of feelings, but she knows she has it._

_She likes somebody. But she’s not really that sure yet._

_She considered telling Nayeon about these things but seeing Nayeon oblivious to Jeongyeon’s constant affection during middle school, she decided not to tell._

_Momo sighs, she thinks it’s too complicated, then resumes inhaling her chocolate treat. She’ll deal with feelings later when she understands it. Or maybe ask Jeongyeon or Sana about it._

_(And maybe she’ll ask Sana how in the world she can flirt with other people when she has a crush, even if I’s friendly flirting, as Sana would call it.)_

_“Hey Momo, try my ice cream.” Nayeon, who’s suddenly sitting beside her, says. A startled Momo looks up to see Chaeyoung standing behind the older girl, happily licking her ice cream. Still dazed from her thoughts, and not one to back out from food, Momo eagerly nods and she leans forward._

_Only for Nayeon to push the ice cream on her lips instead of on her mouth._

_Guffaws and laughs were heard, and Momo stares blankly. She blinks while comprehending what happened, still hearing the muffled laughter from her peers._

_“Eh?” She tries again, and Nayeon pushes the ice cream on her lips again. The others are laughing hard now with Momo’s cluelessness._

_“Aish,” she whines when she realizes Nayeon’s trick on her, and the others roar in more laughter. She pouts, but on the inside she’s happy that they are happy and carefree._

_She hopes times like these would last._

Momo takes a deep breath while reminiscing, frowning when Nayeon crosses her mind. She knows she’s being petty, but she doesn’t know what to do. When she panics, she only does one thing.

                “ _You accuse me of keeping things from you when you yourself are keeping things from me?_ ” She knew she got caught of hiding something then and there when Nayeon was being defensive. So, instead of telling Nayeon about it, she pushes her away. She groans in frustration, feeling more confused as to why she’d done what she’d done.

                “ _It’s only a crush, why are you hiding it from her so much?_ ” Sana asked her once and she only shrugged then, she too not knowing why she’s hiding something trivial from her best friend.

                Thinking about it, she knows she’s hurting her since she knew the older girl trusted her so much but here she is, hiding this information from her.

                _Why should you care?_ Her petty self thinks. _She told you not to._ She thinks back on her argument with Nayeon a few days ago, the older girl now obviously hiding something from her too. Was it her fault that Nayeon seemed to be distrusting that time? She wanted to attribute it to Nayeon’s headaches and Chaeyoung’s disappearance that time. But now, she mulls whether the senior isn’t as trusting as she was back then of her now.

                She knows they had to talk about this as soon as possible, but at the back of her mind, she is being stubborn. Yesterday, at the field, she saw the senior, and she was surprised when said senior suddenly ran off as she went near. She sees Sana run after her afterwards, and she doesn’t know what to make of it, seeing that apparently Nayeon ran from her, Sana seemed to know of Nayeon’s situation more than she does, meaning Nayeon talked to Sana more.

                _Maybe she’s really pushing me away._ She sighs. _Maybe I’ll talk to her when she wants to talk to me._

                A sob nearby takes her attention away and she looks back at the bench. This time, there was somebody sitting there, a hotdog sandwich held on one hand. Momo squints, and she notices the figure looking blankly at the sky, and that the figure was Jeongyeon.

                The Japanese girl stands up and observe Jeongyeon for a minute. She notices the way the older girl’s lips curved up in a wistful smile while still looking up, traces of tears still on her cheeks. Momo then walks slowly so the slightly older girl won’t be startled and scared away.

                Jeongyeon hears crunching of leaves and she snaps her attention to the noise. She sees Momo walking slowly towards her, and she musters up her best smile, albeit forced.

                “Hey, Momoring.” She whispers when the Japanese girl stopped at her arm’s length. “It’s good to see you here.” She looks up when she hears no response from the other girl who had an unreadable expression on her face. She smiles regardless.

                “I bought a hotdog sandwich, just like we always do, Chaeng and I.” She rambles on as she looks on the food she’s holding, not minding the lack of response. “I thought I was hungry, so I bought one today. But guess I really wasn’t.” Momo’s eyebrows scrunch hearing of Jeongyeon’s lack of appetite and her humorless chuckle. She then sits beside forlorn to envelop her in a hug slowly. The other girl tenses in her embrace, and Momo slightly withdraws her hands.

                “Momo?” She hears a small voice, and her heart breaks from how Jeongyeon’s usually strong and determined voice dwindled down to this small, frail one.

                “Hey,” She whispers, her hand slowly reaching per her hair. “It’s okay to cry, let it all out.” They stay silent for a while unmoving.

                “It’s okay.” With a chuckle, Jeongyeon finally answers after a few seconfs. “I told myself not to cry anymore.” She lifts her hands to hug Momo back. “It won’t do anything. It won’t help with anything.” She tightens her hold on the Japanese.

                “But, can we stay like this for a while?” Momo simply nods, not knowing the words she should say.

                She thinks Jihyo or Nayeon should be here, they’ve always been good with words. Or maybe Sana’s mood-making antics would help right now. But when she feels Jeongyeon lean more on her shoulder, her fists on her shirt, she thinks this would be enough for their hurting friend.

                She shouldn’t think of her pettiness right now, she resolves. Nayeon would have to wait.

                She eagerly wishes for Chaeyoung to come home right now, safe and sound. It hurts her heart to see the strong-willed Yoo Jeongyeon wither like this.

                “Nayeon- _unnie_ , stop fidgeting and ignore them! You’re attracting more with what you’re doing!” Sana hisses. She glances left and notices the older girl looking everywhere, her words ignored. She sighs harshly. “Seriously, you shouldn’t have come if you’re gonna be like this, Chaeyoung snap her out or something.” She whispers to the left to avoid suspicious stares.

                “I can’t do that. Nayeon- _unnie_ might look like she startled herself with nothing. That’s Momo- _unnie_ ’s job description.” Chaeyoung shrugs, hiding the fact that she herself is uncomfortable.

                They were walking for a while now, headed to the café where Dahyun is at. But everywhere they go they hear the same whispers from different ghosts and spirits they come across.

                _Im Nayeon opened her eyes, and she’s with the chainless ghost._

                It’s not the ghost that’s not making Nayeon fidget, but it’s the fact that all ghosts seemingly know her. It was unnerving.

                _“Ghosts everywhere will know you.”_ Yoona told her this morning. “ _You’re an Im, we are quite famous in the area_.” Nayeon internally shudders with the thought of being famous in the spirit world.

                While with Chaeyoung, she remembers the scared spirit who ran away from her, screaming at her head, and she can’t help but feel awkward with spirits looking at her with fear.

                _Are chainless ghosts supposed to be feared now?_ She thinks to herself.

                “Look, Nayeonnie, those ghosts are trying to scare you out of your wits. You’ve got to ignore them, or else they’ll get to you.” Sana whispers to avoid attention, walking faster when Nayeon does. Chaeyoung follows suit, her hands on her jacket’s pockets.

                “I _am_ ignoring them.” The older girl hisses back. “But what would you have done if you’re like, the talk of the ghost town?” Before Sana can rebut, Nayeon jogs to where the café is. She sees Dahyun seated inside. Ignoring more whispers, she heads inside, startling the sophomore when she suddenly hugs her from behind?

                “Nayeon- _unnie_?”

                “Yo! You don’t mind u–me crashing your date?” Nayeon chides herself for almost saying “us”, forgetting that Chaeyoung is missing now and she’s here as a ghost. The bell rings, and she sees Sana and Chaeyoung rush to where they are. Sana hears the latter part of Nayeon’s question and she blushes. Dahyun widens her eyes.

                “It’s not a date!” Both the sophomore and the junior shout, Dahyun in embarrassment, and Sana in frustration. Chaeyoung snorts, not used to seeing the sophomore flustered.

                “Whatever,” Nayeon laughs while dragging a chair. “I’m crashing either way.”

                For the next few minutes, Nayeon and Chaeyoung, who was behind the senior, watch as Dahyun asks flurries of questions to Sana about Geometry and Sana patiently answering each of it. Nayeon raises her eyebrow as she observes Sana suddenly looking like an intellectual. She looks back at Dahyun’s worksheet as the sophomore slowly answered the problems.

                “Dahyunnie, you got it wrong here.” She points, not realizing what she’s saying. “There are no right angles, so you can’t use this equation.” The sophomore looks at her in awe.

                “Woah, I didn’t know you’re good in Geometry?” Dahyun exclaims excitedly.

                “Ah, well,” she stammers. “I passed my sophomore maths so I guess…?” Sana snorts.

                In truth, she barely passed all her math subjects up until now. All her friends know that. Now, she doesn’t know how to explain to them how she’s suddenly good at the subject she hates.

                “Yeah, barely.” Sana teases quietly, earning her a kick on the shin from the older. She bites in a yelp to avoid suspicions from the oblivious sophomore. Chaeyoung laughs, then barely stops herself when she sees Sana’s subtle glare.

                “Since when are you two friends anyway?” Nayeon throws to change the topic. Sana and Dahyun pause to look at each other.

                “A few days ago.” The junior answers for them both. Nayeon raises an eyebrow and Chaeyoung, sensing the senior’s mood change, tips a glass of water from the table.

                “Oh no!” Dahyun stands up. “I’ll get some towels.” She rushes to the counter of the café. The three remaining girls hear her whisper on how the glass suddenly fell without anything touching it. Chaeyoung apologizes silently before looking back at her two _unnies_ who were staring at each other.

                “Sana–”

                “I’m not doing anything wrong, _unnie_.” Sana puffs her cheeks. Nayeon raises her arms in defense.

                “I did not say anything.”

                “Oh, but I know you Nayeonnie,” Sana rolls her eyes before raising her hands. “Don’t you dare hurt my precious Dahyunnie or else you’ll regret it.” She hugs herself in mock impersonation and Chaeyoung chortles.

                “I am not like that!” Nayeon huffs with indignance. She then turns serious. “But honestly, you’re around campus flirting with anybody you see.”

                “I am not flirting with her.” Sana deadpans. “Besides–” she looks outside the window and suddenly becomes quiet. Nayeon, her eyebrows raised, goes to look at what got Sana tongue-tied and blinks.

                Jeongyeon and Momo were walking at the other side of the road, both were giggling at something Momo had shown the other on her phone. The three girls at the café look on.

                “ _Unnie_ ,” Chaeyoung sighs. “Are you ever gonna move on?” Sana doesn’t respond, only watching the short-haired girl disappear when they turn on a corner.

                “And you,” the cub points to the senior. “You should fix things with Momo- _unnie_ and stop being petty with each other. And don’t let feelings ruin your friendship.” The said senior deflates on her chair. Chaeyoung sighs as she lets her _unnies_ reflect on themselves.

                “I promise I’ll talk to her,” Nayeon says after a few beats. “But, after we fix your predicament.” Nayeon looks at Chaeyoung with determination in her eyes. “I promised, didn’t I?” She smiles subtly in the glass’s direction, knowing Chaeyoung behind her would see it. Sana finds herself smiling at the interaction. (They shudder a little when they see the cub having no reflection, a harsh reminder of what has happened to the poor freshman.)

                They muster their most normal smiles when Dahyun returns with towels.

                “Seriously, I don’t know how that glass fell.” The sophomore comments offhandedly, and the ghost behind Nayeon looks away. The other two can only chuckle nervously.

                _There she was again, standing at a dark place. The sun and the moon about to meet at the sky, and there was blood everywhere. There was fighting everywhere, but Nayeon notices the overwhelming number of red-eyed people she figured as berserkers. She looks down and she sees herself holding a bloodied white blade._

_A blade whizzes past her face, narrowly avoiding her ear, and she turns her head on the direction where the weapon came from. She finds herself throwing gold ice shards, hitting the berserker that threw the offending object dead._

_What the hell? She thinks to herself. This dream is on a new level of weird._

_“Nayeon!” A voice far away calls her, and she sees a figure with red eyes, a black blade on the figures hand. Nayeon thought the figure was an enemy, but one look in the eye, and Nayeon feels herself relax. But she tenses again when the said person pointed on her far right. She turns and gasps. She sees another person, a girl, standing at where the berserker was pointing at._

_Who?_

_Nayeon then finds herself running when she sees the berserker headed straight to the unknowing person’s direction. “Watch out!” The person then turns her head on Nayeon’s direction with relief in her eyes, and the latter suddenly feels constricted and unable to move. Her eyes widen in recognition and in horror. “No!” She tries to move, but to no avail. She tries looking around, but everyone was preoccupied._

_Nayeon then watches in slow motion as a blade goes through the person’s heart, a smile still present on her face._

_“Nayeon.” She hears the person call out to her before her eyes close, and she chokes a sob in grief, dropping her blade._

_“Nayeon!” She ignores everything, struggling to move towards her who’s now slumped on the floor, blood pooling around her body._

“Nayeon!” Nayeon gasps, opening her eyes suddenly. She sits up sharply, ignoring the sudden light invading her sight, the sharp ringing in her ear, and the sweat that’s dripping on her neck. She takes deep breaths, still shaken with her dream. It’s been a while since she had that kind of dream. She clutches her necklace on her neck, like how she does when she has the same kind of dream.

                “Hey _unnie_ , you okay?” Chaeyoung sits beside the still-panting senior. “Sana- _unnie_ couldn’t wake you up at all so we had to call Yoona _-unnie_.” Nayeon checks her wall clock and groans, it was only 3 in the morning and it was a Sunday. She covers her face with her hands, ignoring her sweat that is still dripping even though it was cold in the room.

                “Bad dream.” She croaks, her voice unsurprisingly hoarse.

                “Do you want to talk about it?” Yoona carefully asks, a hand on her sister’s shoulder, another hand offering a towel. She sighs when the younger shakes her head while wiping her sweat with the towel. She looks to the other girls in the room, not knowing what to do.

                “Go back to sleep guys, it’s just a horrible dream.” Nayeon finally says after everyone got silent. “It’s just 3, and it’s Sunday.” She lifts her head to smile at her older sister who had a worried look on her face. She looks at Sana and Chaeyoung who both had equally worried faces. “Really, I’ll be fine.” She punctuates her words even though deep inside she is still shaken.

                “Okay.” Yoona says with hesitation before slowly heading to the door. “But call me immediately if anything comes up.” She opens the door and pauses to have one look at her sister before going out.

                “Are you sure, Nayeonnie?” Sana whispers, still not moving from where she stands. Nayeon hears skepticism from the junior’s voice. She musters up her biggest smile.

                “Yeah,” she answers. “Go to sleep.” Sana narrows her eyes before turning the lights off, settling on the futon beside Nayeon’s bed.

                “I’ll be watching you, _unnie_.” Chaeyoung whispers before floating towards the window sill. Nayeon closes her eyes, but her minds rambles on, still figuring out what her dream was about.

                _What was that all about?_

* * *

 


	13. 12

 

* * *

“ _Breaking news! Just this morning, dozens of bodies were found littered around the foot of Namsan mountain. Police reports have shown that the causes of their deaths are unknown. The victims are found to be students from a nearby high school who were having a camping trip by the mountains. The victim’s families refuse to speak–_ ”

“That area’s just near here, young miss. It’s disturbing.” Sana simply stares at the television while eating her breakfast with Mister Choi. She watches carefully as the camera focuses on the bodies being covered with white sheets. Her eyes narrow in suspicion when she sees a weird marking on the victims’ necks.

                _Their souls were sucked out._ Her eyes flash a dark blue hue for a second and she clenches her fist. _Berserkers_.

                “They’re on the move, Mister Choi.” Sana speaks after a few moments of silence, her voice dangerously low unlike her usually high, sweet voice. Her driver nods solemnly.

                “Yes. they are.”

                “But, why suck souls?” She wonders aloud, and Mister Choi shrugs, turning the television off.

                “We’ll never know what they’re thinking, especially with _him_.” He stands up and makes a beeline for their telephone. “I’ll call up Master Minatozaki.”

                “No need.” Sana grabs his wrist to stop him. “I think this is something we alone should deal with.” She whips her phone out. “I’ll call Yoona- _unnie_ instead.” She dials her phone while standing up to clean up and prepare for school.

                After a few more rings and attempts to connect, Yoona finally picks up.

                “ _Hello, Sana?_ ”

                “ _Unnie_ ,” Sana responds quietly, sitting straight at the backseat of her car while Mister Choi starts the engine up. “Have you heard?”

                “ _Yes. And I have information._ ” Sana hears the older girl take a deep breath on the phone. “ _They’re looking for the moon’s essence right now, and somehow they know the essence is in Seoul_.” She scrunches her eyebrows in confusion.

                “The what?”

                “ _The prophecy, Sana._ ” Yoona pauses, and both Sana and Mister Choi (Yoona was on loudspeaker) widen their eyes in recognition. “ _They’re trying to stop it. They’re after the sun and the moon_.”

                It’s too early, Nayeon thinks, but here she is, standing in front of their school gates, about to cross the street. Even before when she was avoiding Yoona during the morning, she’s never been to the school grounds this early, so she takes her time to look around and take in the environment she’s in. The streets are already bustling with busy workers even though it was still early. Children headed to school littered around the area, some with their parents accompanying them. The aroma of bread from the nearby bakery invades her nostrils and she sighs in comfort.

                For the first time in her life, she truly appreciated being alive.

                She gets glimpses of ghosts roaming around the area, but unlike before, they were ignoring her. Her hand automatically grasps her necklace.

                ( _“Don’t remove this from your neck, Nayeon.” Yoona sternly reminds her after they went home from the café they met Dahyun at. “This protects you from unwanted attention. No wonder spirits were looking at you, you were practically bait.”_

_“But they’re not looking at me like they want to get me.” She reasons out. “They actually looked at me with fear, which is pretty rude if you ask me.”_

_She misses Yoona and Sana’s surprised and thoughtful looks when she walked past them._ )

                She fiddles with the necklace that’s supposed to protect her. Her father gave to her when–

                Her eyebrows scrunch in thought and confusion. _When did dad give this to me? I couldn’t remember._

                “You know, I sometimes wonder what would’ve happened to the three of us if our father was not like what he was.” A quiet voice snaps her out of her reverie, and she’s reminded of the cub’s ghostly presence. She leans her head a bit, indicating that she is listening even though she’s looking elsewhere.

                “I bet Jeongyeon- _unnie_ told you everything, but you haven’t heard my side of the story.” The cub goes on. “We ran away from him when I was five, and I had little to no grasp of what was happening that time.

                “I can say our father liked me, at least from what I can remember. He smiled at me, showered me gifts, anything you can imagine a father should be doing. Jeongyeon- _unnie_ hated me for that.” Nayeon raises her eyebrow at that. She can’t imagine the loud and over-protective elder no-jam hating on her “precious little cub” as Jeongyeon herself would put it.

                “Unbelievable, I know.” Chaeyoung chuckles at the senior’s reaction. “But it was true. Later on, she told me it was because father liked me, and that she realized that she shouldn’t have done that later on, but I feel like it’s not that, but I let it slide.” Chaeyoung sighs, putting her hands above her head. “I’ve always known that they’ve been hiding some things from me, Jeongyeon and Seungwan- _unnie_. But I trust them with all my life, so it’s fine. I let it slide all the time.” The cub smiles before sighing deeply. “I just wish they didn’t hide the fact that our father’s hurting them behind my back. They shouldn’t have tried making things better for me. Had I not seen it with my very eyes, they would’ve died enduring pain.” She shudders at the thought of her precious sisters dying in the hands of her two-faced father.

                “They both love you, Chaeng.” Nayeon whispers soft enough for Chaeyoung alone to hear. “They did what they think was right, at least that time. You all were young. I’m really sorry that has to happen.”

                “Yeah, I get it.” The freshman shuffles at her feet. “But what would’ve happened if dad wasn’t like that. Maybe we’re still a happy family, maybe mom is still alive, maybe my sisters wouldn’t be hiding stuff from me, maybe–” Chaeyoung chokes. “Maybe, I’m still alive.”

                “But, Chaeyoung, you are alive.” Nayeon emphasizes. She glances slightly at the cub’s direction and sighs in empathy. “And we don’t know that. There are always reasons why things happen, and let’s see what happens now.” She crosses the street with Chaeyoung trailing behind. “Besides,” the older turns around abruptly when she stepped foot on their campus grounds. “We promised to find your body alive. Don’t think about dying okay?” If it was any other time, Chaeyoung would’ve laughed at how ridiculous Nayeon looked while trying to look nonchalant when in fact she’s talking to somebody. But seeing the sincerity in her eyes makes Chaeyoung hopeful.

                “Okay, I won’t.” She smiles back but then frowns when she sees Nayeon’s eyes quiver. “What’s wrong?”

                Nayeon looks around again. The ghosts that were roaming around are suddenly gone, and there’s a weird aura coming from some people who looked like they’re casually walking around the area.

                “Is it me or there are weird people around all of a sudden?” The older girl whispers. True to the older girl’s word, Chaeyoung sees unfamiliar faces walking around the area and she can’t help but shudder when she feels something odd about them.

                “Yeah, they are weird. Let’s go in.” The girls walk briskly towards their building, feeling unsettled with what they’ve seen. Nayeon inches closer to the spirit walking beside her.

                “Stick with me, Chaeng, okay? I don’t know if there are other people who can see you but let’s not risk it.”

                “I wonder why Miss Nayeon isn’t crossing the street.” Mister Choi muses while waiting for the traffic light to go green. They were at least two traffic lights away from where the senior was standing but he notices her quickly. “She’s been there for a while now.”

                Sana looks up from her phone to see what her driver is talking about and she sees Nayeon and Chaeyoung together. She laughs to herself when she notices the older girl trying to act nonchalant while secretly talking to the freshman.

                “Honestly she should learn methods on how to speak to spirits while not looking like a total idiot.” She whispers to herself as she returns to playing with her phone. The lights go green and their car goes forward.

                “What do you mean, young miss? She’s alone over there.” Mister Choi, hearing the girl’s words, points out and that gets Sana’s attention. She looks up again and she sees Nayeon now crossing the street, still with Chaeyoung in tow. She furrows her eyebrows in thought.

                _Mister Choi … can’t see Chaeyoung? But’s he’s a medium!_

“Young miss?”

                “Oh, nothing, she likes talking to herself.” Sana quickly covers up. _Nayeon and_ _Yoona-unnie must know this_. The car stops by the school gates and Sana gets her bag before going out, but the car doors are still locked. Before she can ask her driver to open the doors, she sees a few men walking around the area and she gasps. She also notices Nayeon and Chaeyoung practically running towards the school grounds. She ducks her head when one of the men glances at the direction of their car.

                “Berserkers, Mister Choi!” She hisses in panic. “What are they doing here?!”

                “They’re all around the area. It’s dangerous. They shouldn’t see you.” The driver maneuvers the car backward to go to the car entrance of the school.

                “But they’re looking for the moon and not me…?” She tries to reason, but her own fearing self knows what Mister Choi said was right.

                “Even so. Good thing they didn’t notice Miss Nayeon, we would’ve been in big trouble.” He makes a turn towards the school’s other entrance. “Whatever they’re looking for, it’s nearby.” Sana flashes her school id card to the guard to let them in.

                “I’m sorry, but only faculty members can enter this gate.”

                “Please, just this once.” Mister Choi pleads. “My client here doesn’t want to–”

                “Regardless of reason, we are not allowed to let other cars enter this gate.” The guard cuts him off haughtily and Mister Choi huffs in frustration. “So, turn–”

                “Let them in, sir.” A voice cuts the guard off, and Sana peeks to see Miss Kim, the art teacher, standing by the guard house.

                “But Miss Kim–”

                “We are alerted of strange men lurking around the area, and unless you want danger to come to this student of mine,” Miss Kim gestures to Sana who is still crouched down behind the driver’s seat, “then let them in.” The teacher says with so much conviction Sana has never seen from her before.

                The guard relents with a sigh and lets the car in. Both Mister Choi and Sana sigh in relief. She looks behind to see the men still lurking around the area. The car parks behind the school grounds to avoid peering eyes and Sana goes out to see her art teacher waiting.

                “Sana- _ssi_ ,” Miss Kim calls her out, “I don’t know if I can let your car in the next time, but please make sure to be with someone at all times, okay?” She smiles, a smile that Sana rarely sees in class and she melts, seeing how cute her teacher is.

                “Thank you, Miss Kim.” She smiles back, her cheeks puffing, before running in the building while Miss Kim and Mister Choi look on.

                “Thank you, Taeyeon.” Mister Choi says in gratefulness, and Taeyeon bows.

                “It’s what I can do to protect my students, Siwon- _oppa_.” She smiles before she shoos the driver out. “Go now, the guard’s still looking at you.” She watches as Siwon maneuvers the car out of the school and she sighs. She brings her phone out to call somebody.

                “ _Taeyeon-unnie?_ ” The other line answers, and Taeyeon looks back at the sleazy men walking away from the campus grounds, her eyes flashing a dark hue of blue for a second.

                “Irene, tell her I called. Tell her _his_ men are in Seoul, and it’s not good.”

                Jeongyeon unknowingly grips her bag tightly as she glares at the beautiful wreath hanging on Chaeyoung’s locker door, anger slowly seeping in. She stands there, unmoving but shaking in anger seeing the offending piece of wreath that, in her opinion, should not be there.

                That’s how Mina finds her a few moments later in the locker areas.

                “Jeongyeon- _unnie_?” Mina asks, unsure if addressing her as such would be okay for the older girl even though said girl told her she can call her as such a few days ago. Seeing Jeongyeon unresponsive, she tries again, touching her arm a bit. “Jeong- _unnie_?”

                “What?” The sharpness in Jeongyeon’s voice makes Mina flinch. Jeongyeon must’ve felt it, since she turns her head towards the Japanese’s direction, her eyes getting softer. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She looks back at Chaeyoung’s locker. “It’s just that, that wreath shouldn’t be there!”

                Mina looks at the wreath in place and frowns a bit, unsure when the wreath was placed.

                “Chaeyoung’s not dead, you fuckers.” She hears Jeongyeon whisper to herself, and she flinches again, this time with Jeongyeon cursing. “How dare they.” She feels Jeongyeon moving and she grabs her wrist before the older girl can do something stupid.

                “Calm down, please.” She pleads, but Jeongyeon seems to not listen. “Let’s not do something stupid.”

                “Stupid? This!” Jeongyeon gestures to the wreath, her eyes dilated in anger and Mina had to back away a bit. “This is stupid!” She goes for the locker again, but the Japanese girl still has her tight grip in the older girl’s wrist.

                “Come on, you’re a levelheaded person. Don’t act rash now.” After a while, she feels the older girl relax in her grip and gently grabs her other hand. “Don’t do something you might regret later on.” She coos while turning Jeongyeon to her direction slowly. Her heart breaks when she sees the unshed tears in the no-jam girls eyes.

                “I’m sorry you had to see me like this.” Jeongyeon whispers a few moments after she calms down, a grateful but hurting smile on her face.

                “It’s okay. I get it.” Mina returns the smile with an encouraging one. “Don’t worry, okay? I’m sure Chaeyoung- _ssi_ is still alive and no wreath of flowers can change that.”

                “You believe that she’s still alive?” Jeongyeon looks at her with a gaze that melts Mina. Even though she’s on the verge of crying, Mina thinks that Jeongyeon still looked beautiful. The way her smile brightens up the–

                Mina shakes her head. _Now is not the time to think about these things_.

                “Of course,” she responds after thinking. “I mean, she is a stubborn kid. Maybe stubborn enough to stay alive.” She carefully says, gauging the older girl’s reaction, and she relaxes when Jeongyeon’s facial features brighten.

                “Thank you, Mina. It means a lot to me, believing in her.” They stay like that for a while, with Mina still holding both of Jeongyeon’s hands and the latter still smiling at the younger girl.

                “So, do you want to go to the council president to have the wreath taken down?” Mina offers.

                “It’s Sejeong’s idea?”

                “It looks like it. You’re friends?”

                “Sort of.”

                _Snake: Hey, Mister Choi couldn’t see Chaeyoung, and have you seen those weird men outside?_

                Nayeon looks out the window and sees no trace of the weird men they’ve seen. She raises her eyebrows in confusion.

                _Nabongs: Weird, they’re gone. But they have this scary aura around them it kinda freaked me and Chaeyoung out._

_Nabongs: And Mister Choi can’t see her? Isn’t he like, a strong medium like you say?_

“That’s weird. Am I a special spirit of some sort?” Chaeyoung muses behind Nayeon. “Or maybe I am special after all.” Nayeon rolls her eyes and types a text on her phone before putting it down.

                _Don’t be a narcissist Chaeng, that’s my job._ It reads, and the cub laughs loudly before looking around the senior's home room. No one bats an eye, so Nayeon’s pretty sure no one can see her. Her phone buzzes.

                _Snake: Yeah, he is. It’s so weird. Maybe it’s because she’s still alive? But that doesn’t make any sense. We should figure out why you’re the only one who could see her at first before jumping into anything._

_Snake: Later. Chemistry teacher is here, but Momoring isn’t._

                 _Snake: and be careful. Those weird men are berserkers_

Nayeon frowns at the last text Sana sent. No wonder they gave off a creepy aura, the ghosts suddenly gone. She shudders at the thought of going near the men, and she wonders why they're here. She would ask Sana more about it later on. She checks the Japanese's texts one last time and she sighs.

                She knows Momo isn’t one to be late no matter how much of a klutz she is. She then starts to type a quick text to Momo, but then her finger hovers on the send button, almost forgetting that her best friend’s practically angry at her.

                She and her other classmates look outside the room when they hear rushed footsteps outside. She turns in time to see Momo running in the hallway, scurrying off towards her room. She sighs before deleting her text and putting her phone down. Looking up, she sees Shiah looking at her with her eyebrows raised, as if asking _what’s up with Momo_. She only shrugs before looking out the window again.

                “You really should talk to her immediately _unnie_.” Chaeyoung says, now sitting at the empty armchair beside Nayeon. The senior then gets a notebook and starts writing.

                _I know. Just looking for the right time._ Chaeyoung snorts.

                “Every time is the right time _unnie_ , you’re just making an excuse.”

                _I don’t know what to tell._ Nayeon scribbles quickly. _I can’t just tell her about the spiritist thing. I can’t lie to her either._

                The classroom door opens and all students, including the ghost Chaeyoung, pays attention to the teacher that entered.

                “Hello, class 4-A. I know it’s your study hall period, but I’m here to make an important announcement.” The students hurry off to their seats immediately. “Now, this is regarding the annual school trip.” Everybody eagerly listens, quiet murmurs starting to come up.

              “Now, I know it’s early, but the school administration has decided to push the school trips early on the trimester.” Cheers erupt. “But, instead of having it per year level every weekend, we’ve decided to have a section each level per weekend to reduce the days of the trips.” Low murmurs ring out the entire room.

                “Do we get to choose which of our underclass gets to come with us?” Jennie asks, her hands raised.

                “No, the sections together would be depending on us. Are there more questions?” Nayeon raises her hand.

                “Where would it be?”

                “The venue’s not final yet. We’ll fill you in this week once everything’s finalized. Questions?” Nobody raises hands, then the teacher goes out to leave the class for study hall.

                “That’s pretty weird if you ask me.” Sojung suddenly voices out, earning nods of agreement from most of the class. “The administration hates school trips, so having them immediately doesn’t make sense.”

                “I thought they were about to abolish it?” Seungcheol, a guy in front of the class, pips in.

                “Thought so too.” After that, the class goes on about their own matters. Nayeon shrugs the matter off, but at the back of her head, she feels something weird about the whole matter. She looks at Chaeyoung who was still looking in front.

Suddenly there is a flash of light, and she sees Chaeyoung, lying unconscious on the floor of what looked like a house, and a creepy man towering over her. She blinks in surprise and fear, and she sees Chaeyoung again, sitting at the desk while looking at her.

                “Is the something wrong, _unnie_?” The younger asks. She noticed Nayeon freezing a while ago while looking at her, her eyes unseeing. It freaked her out a little.

                Nayeon distractedly nods, still bothered with what she saw. Seeing that the older girl wouldn’t tell what’s bothering her, Chaeyoung shrugs, thinking that whatever it is, Nayeon would tell them sooner or later.

                “You!” A dark figure sitting on a throne howls. The men who were bowing their heads flinch in fear. “You tell me you’ve searched everywhere but you still haven’t found her?!”

                “I swear, boss, we couldn’t find her.” A bulky man squeaks ironically. “Maybe she’s not in Seoul?”

                “Nonsense!” A blast of air hits the man and he gets blown away, hitting a wall. “How dare you question information!” The remaining men bowing their heads quiver, afraid of their boss’s rage.

                The figure suddenly stands from his throne and claps to get everyone’s attention.

                “All of you! I want you to search every high and low of Seoul!” The men nod. The figure, sensing fear from the shivering men, laughs maniacally. “If you ever try reasoning out like that guy,” he points to the bulky man crumpled on the floor, “you’ll end up worse than him. Understood?!”

                “Yes, boss!” They collectively respond. The figure tenses his shoulders.

                “I want you to bring the moon’s essence to me immediately! And eliminate those who try to hinder you!” He grins maniacally.

                “And bring the sun to me. Alive.”


	14. 13

A knock on the door takes his attention away from the station’s reports and stares at the door before chiming a quiet “come in”. The door opens to reveal Lieutenant Kim Heechul.

                “Chief.” Heechul salutes and he waves him off.

                “Close the door and sit down please.” Heechul does as he’s told and sits down.

                “What is it, lieutenant?”

                “The Son kidnapping case.” Heechul purses his lips. “Sooner or later I’ll transfer it to the search and retrieval division.”

                “And your division?”

                “Honestly, they don’t care anymore. Especially when the family is not interested with any help from the police.” The lieutenant sighs. “The student body isn’t that interested anymore either.”

                “That makes our job easier, does it not?” The chief leans back in his seat, a relieved smile in his face. Heechul frowns. He looks around and outside to see if there was anybody listening before leaning.

                “Jungsu- _hyung_ ,” he whispers, “I don’t get what we’re doing. At all. Why are we not doing everything to find Chaeyoung? And what do you mean? Would we wait for it to die down before doing anything? Wouldn’t that be dangerous?” The chief chuckles at the onslaught of question Heechul was throwing.

                “Ah, Hee- _nim_ , there’s so much you don’t know.” The chief whispers before and walking towards the window overlooking Seoul. “You’ll get it soon enough. But for now, let the case die down and let people forget about it.”

                “Then?” Jungsu’s eyes light a shade of red for a while, his face unseen by his lieutenant, who has his eyebrows scrunched in much confusion.

                “Let everything play out. They don’t have much time anyway.”

_The first time she actually saw Son Chaeyoung was not when she slapped her._

_Clubs were already done, and the debate club finished late so Mina finds herself venturing the school halls alone. With nothing left to do for the day, she leisurely walks towards the locker areas with light steps, humming to a tune she’s heard this morning. She looks around the empty hallways and classrooms, taking her time to appreciate the school façade._

_In her three years in high school, never did she take her time admiring the school environment. She only had one goal that time she set her foot in this school during freshman year, and that is to survive high school without being noticed._

_Her popularity among the student body, however, crushes her goal in one hit._

_Even as a freshman, she had been popular instantly to the student body. The cold freshman who rejected a senior during the first week of classes. A ballet prodigy. The girl who doesn’t smile nor talk too much. Etc. etc._

_With her reputation in tow, most of the students avoid her, so at least she would be able to finish school unbothered most of the time, she thinks. She’s heard other ridiculous rumors about her before, like how she’s part of the yakuza, a Japanese spy, and all other theories people can think of. It’s crazy, but if it means less interaction with people, then so be it. There are, however, idiot people who still bother to confess to her even though they’ve heard the rumors._

_She rolls her eyes while thinking about it._

_Luckily no one has bothered to confess yet. It’s the second week of the first trimester of her junior year, and nothing has bothered her yet. No suitors, no confessions. Not even anything from the insufferable Minatozaki Sana who, with her damned luck, is in the same class as hers._

_Mina stops walking for a while. Minatozaki Sana is definitely not insufferable, she thinks. She just doesn’t want to be chummy with anybody, regardless of who they are and what their intentions are. She sees the sincerity of Sana’s gestures towards her, but she just doesn’t want any attachment to anybody in this school. So, she’s fine with having no friends._

_That’s what she herself decided to do when they moved to Korea. The trauma of people backstabbing you gets to her, so she’d rather avoid it._

_A crash takes her attention away and she looks at the room near the lockers. The art room, she muses, and she goes to peek whatever is happening in the room._

_There were movements among the chairs, an easel in the middle of the room, paintbrushes scattered everywhere. Believing it to be an unruly student making a mess inside, she goes to the door, but before she can open it, she sees her._

_A student, freshman based on the necktie hanging loosely on her shoulders. (Son Chaeyoung, she figures much later.) Her uniform and her hands and face smeared with different colors, a worn-out paintbrush in hand, a thoughtful look on her face while looking at the canvass._

_(Mina has heard of the mysterious freshman. Yoo Jeongyeon’s precious prodigy, some would call her. The philosophical freshman who has the student body swept off their feet not just because of her skills and intelligence, but also because of her different outlooks in life. It makes her curious and wary at the same time. New people don’t seem to fit well with Mina.)_

_She looks at the carefree freshman who’s face suddenly brightens. The freshman scurries off to get buckets of paint. Mina chuckles when the girl trips every now and then while navigating through the messy art room, and she melts when she sees pure happiness from her when she carelessly pours purple paint on her palette with black paint._

_She sighs with affection as the painter slowly mix colors with hands without caring about getting paint everywhere on her. She watches in odd satisfaction as violet and black swirl beautifully with the freshman’s careful but carefree hands and–_

“Mina?”

–she blinks to see a flask with different colors instead of the palette. She looks up in confusion to see Jeonogyeon’s worried gaze. Looking around, she remembers being in chemistry class, with the older girl as her lab partner.

“Are you okay?” Jeongyeon asks. “You were kinda spacing out.”

“Ah, yes.” She quickly recovers from her daydream and ducks her head in shame. “I’m sorry about that.” She almost spills the contents of the test tube she’s holding and blushes, berating herself internally for being clumsy in front of a classmate, especially in front of her crush.

“Careful,” Jeongyeon pries the tube away from the poor Japanese’s hands. “You don’t want to spill danger on your pretty skin.” The older girl chuckles when her partner turns a shade of red deeper than before.

“Please don’t tease me like that.” Mina whispers, busying herself with the instruction manual their teacher handed to them.

“I guess you’re not used to this kind of interaction.” Jeongyeon carefully pours the contents of the test tube in the flask she’s holding. “It’s ok, Mina. We all have our daze moments. A penny for your thoughts?” Mina gazes back at the flask now with bright colors swirling and she sighs.

“It’s nothing.” _I just suddenly thought of Chaeyoung for no reason._ Mina’s tone makes Jeongyeon drop the topic and she shrugs before swirling the flask carefully. Mina sighs, and she goes on to prepare the other solutions Jeongyeon will pour in later.

 _Why did I think of her suddenly? Maybe it’s the guilt. Yeah, it’s the guilt._ She distracts herself.

A sudden slam of the door surprises everybody in the chemistry lab and Mina looks up the door. There by the door posts stands a nonchalant Momo.

“Fuck! I lost the color.” Jeongyeon, who jumped in surprise, curses and is about to glare at the newcomer when she sees Momo going to the teacher’s table to pick up a slip for detention.

“She’s so cool about getting detention, Hirai- _ssi_.” Mina observes.

“It’s not like her to be late or get detention, no matter how stupid she can get.” Jeongyeon pours the ruined solution in the flask before sighing. “I wonder what happened. But damn, that was a good color too. Chaeng’s favorite color too.”

The memory of mixing paint returns to Mina and she frowns. _Purple’s my favorite too_.

“It’s okay, we can do it again.” Mina offers a kind smile when Jeongyeon turns around, which she returns, while taking the empty flask. "I didn't think you'd be more concerned of our solution's color than your friend."

"It's not that." Jeongyeon laughs it off, preparing the beakers needed to redo the experiment. "We'll know what happend when she wants us to know. Knowing Momo, she wouldn't want questioning looks pointing at her." They continue quietly after that.

(Jeongyeon didn’t mean to, but she overhears Sana while redoing their lab work.

“Did you stop by the seniors’ room to look out for Nayeon again? God, Momo, just talk already.”

Jeongyeon frowns when she doesn’t hear a response. She guesses she’d have to talk to Momo later.)

“What does this even mean?” Sana mutters before looking up from the book she’s reading. “And where were you two?” She sees Nayeon with a lovestruck-looking Chaeyoung in tow. They are currently in the back part of the school garden where there are no students roaming around.

“Don’t mind this ghost.” Nayeon points to a smiley Chaeyoung. “She just saw her precious Mina- _sunbaenim_ while I bought food.” She lifts her bottle of water to Sana while sighing. “I told them I want it ice-cold, but they gave me what’s on display instead.” Sana grabs the bottle from the older girl.

“No problem.” Her eyes turn blue for a second, and Nayeon gapes in awe as the once lukewarm bottle becomes ice-cold. Sana returns the bottle to the awed senior.

“You’ve got to teach me that.” Nayeon mutters.

“I can’t do that unless your element is ice, like me.” When the Japanese saw Nayeon’s questioning look, she further explains. “After the great dimensional war, the remaining spiritists were left powered down. Their powers became restricted so instead of having all elements, one is left with only one kind of element under the domain of–”

“I already know that. Yoona- _unnie_ told me about it. How do you know I’m not ice, though?” Nayeon cuts her off before drinking the cold water.

“Well,” Sana shrugs, “I thought you’re more powerful than having ice.” Nayeon raises her eyebrows. “That Saturday where we went the café, your spirit was flaring so much.” Sana looks at a still-dazed Chaeyoung. “Didn’t you feel like burning that time, Chaeng?” No response from the freshman, and both Nayeon and Sana chuckle.

“Whipped.” Nayeon mutters, before smirking at Sana. “So, you think I’m some powerful medium?”

“Don’t be full of yourself, Nayeonnie, it’s just my opinion. For all we know you’re at the lowest level, grandma.” Sana teases, earning a smack from the senior.

“Yah!”

“You earned it.” Nayeon sticks her tongue out, then she notices the book Sana is holding. Her eyes widen, recognizing it.

“Hey, that’s the book I borrowed last week.” She points at the book. By this time, Chaeyoung’s already paying attention. Sana simply shrugs.

“I’m actually surprised there’s a book like this.” She flips the book open on the page she was reading earlier. “So, I’ve read something interesting, hear it out.

“ _The gods stopped the war of the 1900s and they sent out a prophecy to all spiritists. The mediums accepted it, doing everything they can to have the prophecy fulfilled. Meanwhile, the berserkers did everything to stop it. However, after decades, the prophecy hasn’t happened yet and they’re slowly losing hope, and the berserkers started ignoring it, jeering those who still believe in it. The said prophecy has not happened until this day._ ”

                “The book is published 3 years ago, that’s how recent it is.” Chaeyoung comments while looking at the book cover.

                “I’ve heard about it, but not the actual thing.” Sana quips. “The fact that the prophecy does exist is a common knowledge, but not everybody knows what it is exactly. I think Mister Choi and Yoona- _unnie_ knows about it though.”

                “Yoona- _unnie_? She knows so much but tells so little.” Nayeon shakes her head. “What’s the prophecy about?”

                Sana points to the block of text and lets the other two read it.

_“The day the sun and the moon meet, shall be the day the tear will mend_

_But beware of the past fiend that haunts_

_The moon must discover itself without moving_

_The sun will break fate and must face the consequences_

_Darkness will rise, taking light by surprise_

_The sun and moon must stop a millennium worth of fight”_

                _The sun and the moon. A white and black blade. So much blood. A girl with silver eyes._ Nayeon blinks hard as images from her dreams suddenly flash in her eyes. She holds her head slowly to avoid attention.

                _What…?_

“Hey Chaeng? You okay?” Sana’s worried voice enters and Nayeon sees Chaeyoung sitting down, her head on her hands. Alarmed, she rushes towards the spirit, ignoring the tingling sensation in her head.

                The cub’s eyes were shut, her hands trembling, her teeth gritting. Simply put, the cub looks like she’s in pain, and the other girls with her couldn’t do a thing since their hands are going through her even though they’re using their powers.

                They see Chaeyoung’s hand flicker for a second and they panic.

                “Chaeyoung!” Nayeon calls out, and suddenly, the freshman’s eyes snap open. The senior tries to hold her again and she succeeds this time.

                Suddenly, there’s a flash of light, and Nayeon hears Sana’s alarmed cries fade in the background–

                ***

–and sees herself suddenly standing in the living room of somebody’s home. Nayeon blinks, confused as to why she’s there when a while ago she was in the school garden. She looks around before noticing her hands and gasps.

Her hands are semi-transparent, like a ghost.

 _Oh my god did I die?_ She panics, her eyes wide. She flails her arms and slaps her cheeks to check whether she’s dreaming or not.

A sound of a door opening snaps her out of her panic and she’s suddenly frozen, unsure of what to do. Her pupils shake in fear, unsure whether she’s visible to people or not. She hears laughter and dropping of shoes and she looks around to find a hiding place when she sees a picture frame. Walking closer, she inspects it.

It’s a picture of a smiling Seungwan squished between Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung who were giggling. They all wore headbands and are holding cotton candy. They looked so happy in this picture of them in what looked like an amusement park.

 _I’m in their living room!_ Nayeon realizes, and she looks back when she hears boisterous laughs behind and she sees Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung trailing behind her. She widens her eyes.

_Chaeyoung’s alive?_

“Now Chaeng,” Jeongyeon plops on the sofa, unaware of a ghostly Nayeon who was standing by the television set, “what will you do now that Mina’s rejected you today?” _Today…?_

Nayeon looks around for a calendar and sees a desk calendar by their telephone. _Monday…last week?!_

_I’m in the past!_

“Well, I think confessing like that isn’t the right way.” Chaeyoung muses, plopping beside Jeongyeon on the couch. “But I really like her, _hyung_ , I’ve never met someone as elegant and beautiful as her. It’s pretty sad that she doesn’t have much friends, I mean, she looks like the person who’d care for you forever.” Jeongyeon chuckles. Her phone rings, and Nayeon skids towards the couch to see what’s on the junior’s phone. Nobody bats an eye on the senior’s movements.

_Wendy-unnie: I’ll be staying at the company quarters tonight since work’s too much. Lock the doors and take care, okay? :*_

“Aw, Wan- _unnie_ ’s not coming home tonight.” Jeongyeon announces. “Just the two of us, bro. I’ll lock the doors” She smiles at the freshman who was holding on the remote control before standing up. Nayeon observes the two and she sees the love and care behind the older sister’s smile. She then observes the freshman that’s still focused on watching tv.

It’s been a while since Nayeon has seen Chaeyoung as a person and not as a ghost. She smiles while observing the innocent cub who was smiling wildly, her tongue peeking out a bit. She hasn’t seen that smile of hers since the day she saw her as a ghost in the garden.

“I’ll do everything to return that smile of yours, Chaeng.” Nayeon whispers, knowing that the cub won’t hear her.

A grunt, and a blast startles Nayeon and Chaeyoung. The former stands up and stands to protect the cub despite being invisible (and possibly intangible).

“ _Hyung_?” Chaeyoung calls out tentatively. There was a moment of silence, and Nayeon finds herself fearful. She steps forward and gets startled when a body gets thrown from the direction of the front door. She hears the figure groan, and she sees a glimpse of their school blazer.

“Jeong!” She exclaims, rushing towards the crumpled figure by the staircase. Checking on the junior for any injuries, she tries touching her, but her hands goes through the junior’s torso.

A sudden chill down her spine stops her. Her heart starts beating erratically, and she fears turning her head towards the door. She feels the dark aura emanating from whoever’s at the door. A hideous laugh rings out.

“ _Nayeonnie!_ ”

She turns her head slowly and she notices a tall, dark shadow on the floor.

“ _Unnie!_ ”

She looks up at the figure who is slowly creeping. In her peripheral vision, she sees Chaeyoung hiding by the sofa, eyes wide with fear. Nayeon’s eyes then land on the figures eyes freezes, choking when she sees the scariest red eyes she’s ever seen–

***

“Nayeon- _unnie_!” Nayeon opens her eyes and gasps, sitting up suddenly. She feels the grass beneath her, and dizziness hits her. She stumbles onto Sana who’s by her side. She breaths hard, the fear she felt still lingering.

“You’re awake, gosh!” Sana exclaims, her voice sounding like she’s about to cry. “You just collapsed like a sack when you held onto Chaeyoung and I didn’t know what to do!” She whines.

“ _Unnie_ , you okay?” Chaeyoung asks from Nayeon’s other side. The senior’s head snaps towards the younger one’s direction and she remembers what she’s seen.

“Oh my god Chaeyoung! Some creepy guy just went to you house unannounced!” She exclaims, confusing the other two. “I didn’t know how I got there, but you and Jeong went home, then Seungwan- _unnie_ says she couldn’t come home. Jeong’s supposed to lock the door but she’s blasted away and–”

“Woah there, bunny, slow down.” Sana coaxes. “Repeat what you just said, but slowly.” She hands Nayeon her water bottle and lets the older girl gulp in water as much as she can.

“Chaeyoung, I just saw what happened the night you were gone.” Nayeon starts, her seriousness not giving any room for the two to make fun of anything. “You were there, at your home, with Jeongyeon. Seungwan- _unnie_ was out. Then Jeong goes to lock the door, but somebody was there, and he threw Jeongyeon to your stairs.” Nayeon winces at the memory. “I saw the guy, he’s tall, and he’s scary. His eyes were a deep shade of red that can send you to hell if he wants to.” She shudders just by thinking about it.

Sana has a thoughtful look on her face while Chaeyoung tries to remember anything that matches Nayeon’s narrative. The latter sighs, still not able to remember anything.

“What happens next?” The cub asks quietly.

“I woke up. I’m sorry.” Nayeon gets startled when the younger girl puts her face close to her own, her eyes full of desperation and pain. Losing memories is hard, the senior thinks, seeing this side of Chaeyoung that she never wants to see.

“Can you try looking again?” Nayeon shakes her head slowly.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know how I did it.”

“Maybe holding me again would do it.” Nayeon tries as she’s told, holding Chaeyoung’s hand with her own glowing ones but nothing happens. She shakes her head again, and the cub visibly deflates.

Sana’s heart crumbles at the sight of the carefree cub deflating like that. Thinking about what she should do, she brings her phone out and dials a number. The two other girls with her look on. The bell rings, signifying the end of lunch period, but they ignore it, a more pressing matter at hand.

“Yoona- _unnie_ ,” they perk up at the name Sana mentions, “yeah, we’re still at school, lunch period.” Nayeon looks on curiously when she sees Sana frown in seriousness, whispering something to the other line which they couldn’t hear. Then, both girls look expectantly when Sana ends the call.

“Nayeon- _unnie_ , ditch Drama club later. We’re heading straight home. I feel like there more to it than Chaeyoung just disappearing.”

A lone figure stands behind a post, trying to hide from something while trying to get information at the same time. The figure peeks, her long brunette hair falling slightly as she observes the group of men standing by the car parked at the curb.

“No sign of the moon? Or the sun?” A man with a cigarette on his lips asks one of the more lanky -looking boy in the group.

“No, Namjoon, nothing.”

“Damn, we don’t even know who the sun is, and the moon’s essence is hard to find. How are we supposed to find them?” The man, seemingly the leader of the group, throws his cigarette away. “This would be easier if the seer didn’t die.”

 _The seer? Sunggyu-oppa?_ The figure hiding behind the post suppresses a gasp to avoid blowing her cover.

“Let’s split and search the whole area for ghosts. They should know a thing or two.” The leader smirks. “It’s been a while since I had my last ghost hunting.” The group disperse quickly. The hiding figure goes out to the sidewalk and sighs when her phone vibrates.

_Hyun: Where are you? Lunch is over._

_Wan: I’ll be right there._

She looks back at the spot where the men stood a few minutes ago, and her gaze hardens.

_I’ve got to find the moon’s essence before they do._

She looks up the sky, clutching onto her phone. Her wallpaper shows, it’s a picture of her with her sisters during Chaeyoung’s birthday, their smiling faces full of icing. A lone tear escapes Seungwan’s eyes.

_Chaeyoung-ah, where are you?_


	15. 14

 

_Yoona: I’ll pick Chaeyoung up for her to rest. Can I ask your chauffeur to accompany us?_

_Sana: Yes, I told Mister Choi already, but he can’t really see Chaeyoung._

“So, Miss Yoona, what did you give Miss Nayeon? It must be that important if young master Sana asked me to pick you up.” Siwon eyes Yoona who was sitting at the backseat through the rear mirror. They are driving back towards the Im’s after Yoona “gave” something important to Nayeon (when the truth is she picked an exhausted Chaeyoung up). She looks back, a small smile on her face.

                “Ah, her English workbook. Nayeon can be a klutz sometimes.” Lies. Yoona just thought of an excuse when Sana told her about Siwon not seeing the young ghost. Nayeon doesn’t even have an English class today.

Yoona chuckles naturally to cover up. Humming in response, Siwon looks back at the road. When she’s sure the driver’s attention is solely on the road, she glances at Chaeyoung who is fidgeting at her seat while struggling to keep her eyes open. She sighs in pity. _Poor kid. It must be uncomfortable to her being with someone who can’t see her_. The car stops at a red light.

                “Miss Yoona–”

                “Please don’t be formal, _oppa_ , it’s just us here.” She takes her attention away from the freshman to avoid suspicion from Siwon. She flashes a big smile and Siwon chuckles.

                “Sorry, habit with the Minatozakis.” Siwon drops his smile when he glances outside the tinted car window. “The seer, Kim Sunggyu, is dead. He was killed few weeks ago.” There was silence, and Siwon lets Yoona take in the news.

                “But I thought he’s safe somewhere with his friends?” Yoona’s voice turns quiet, her eyes wide in unbelief. The last time she’s heard of the only seer living is that he escaped with six of his friends after he fearlessly declared that the prophecy will come true soon.

                That was seven years ago, the same year where their father died, Jaebum disappeared, and where Nayeon almost lost her life. Sunggyu was only 19 that time. Yoona was 17.

“They were ratted out. The bastards took the others. Woohyun escaped, however, and is in hiding right now. He said in a letter that they were being tortured to death.”

“Oh no. Who ratted them out?”

“That’s the weird thing. Woohyun’s being vague about it.” Siwon sighs. “No wonder the berserkers seemed to be one step ahead. They discovered where the prophesied ones are before he died.” He grips the steering wheel so hard, Yoona can see his white knuckles from where she is sitting.

“Sunggyu- _oppa_ had always been an honorable berserker. He always believed in the prophecy, and that peace is achievable between the two parties. I’ve always liked him like my older brother.”

“Yeah, he was a good man, but I’m pretty sure the young master would never agree.”

“Who can blame Sana? Berserkers murdered her clan. Of course, she’d be prejudiced.” Yoona sighs “What becomes of the seer position now, _oppa_?”

“You know the rules, Yoong. Once the seer dies, the seer-in-training gets fully ordained. I’m pretty sure they’re looking for the new one right now.” The traffic lights go green. “Guess what, your seer is in Seoul, but I don’t think the berserkers know that. We’ve got to find that seer before them.” Instead of turning left towards the Im’s home, Siwon turns right, confusing Yoona.

                “ _Oppa_ , where are we going.”

                “We’re gonna detour a little bit. Can’t risk _his_ men knowing where the you live.” Siwon replies with a low voice. Yoona’s eyes widen in surprise. She looks outside the car and sees suspicious men lurking around the area.

                “What’s going on? Who’s he?” A confused Chaeyoung, who has been silent the whole time, asks, and Yoona gives a glance before looking back outside the window. The cub takes it as a sign that the older Im will tell her later. So, she keeps quiet.

                “Our home’s shrouded with a charm to put berserkers away so hopefully they won’t notice.”

                “Yeah, but we can’t risk them seeing you entering your home. That makes your charm useless, no matter how strong it is to keep them out.” Siwon makes another turn, eyes searching for any other suspicious people.

                “What do you suggest doing then? We can’t just drive around until they get tired. For all we know, they might be scouting the whole day.” Siwon looks around and his eyes light up with an idea.

 

                “Yoona, do you, perhaps, have a back entrance?”

                Sana runs towards her next class after making sure Chaeyoung and Yoona gets into their car safely. She curses her clumsiness when she trips on nothing. No amount of spiritual power can negate her clumsiness, she muses, and she groans while picking her things up.

                She ignores a voice calling and the stares that follow her and continues to run until she skids to a halt in front of the Home Economics room. Luckily, their teacher hasn’t arrived yet and she sighs in relief.

                “ _Unnie_!” The voice that kept calling her earlier comes back, and Sana looks to see a panting Dahyun on her knees, in her hand was somewhat like a takeout lunch. “I didn’t know you run that fast, Sana- _unnie_.” Despite being breathless, Dahyun gives the junior a cheeky smile that makes Sana internally squeal. _How cute_.

                “Dahyunnie? What are you doing here? Don’t you have class?” Sana can’t help but ask the cheery sophomore. She knew Dahyun has Philosophy as an elective, and the room is far from where the Home Economics room is. Seeing the sophomore here puzzles Sana.

                “I have, but I came to give you this!” Dahyun hands the takeout to the curious older girl. “I didn’t see you during lunch, so you might’ve not eaten yet. I bought you lunch, it’s on me.”

                “Aw, you didn’t have to, Dahyunnie.” Sana coos, and deep inside she feels touched with the younger girl’s gesture.

                “Nah, consider it as a payment for tutoring me in Geometry last Saturday.” The older girl looks at her with so much adoration she can’t help but blush. “Uhm, I guess I’ll get going now. The bell did ring 10 minutes ago. See you around, Sana- _unnie_!” Dahyun jogs away while waving at a dazed Sana.

                “Bye, Dahyunnie.” Sana whispers while waving shyly. She remembers the lunch she’s holding when Dahyun skids towards the right. A chuckle escapes her mouth, and she checks the lunch she received while entering the noisy Home Economics room.

                She sits at her designated table and takes the lunch out. There’s a note on top and Sana picks it up and reads it.

_I was supposed to treat you lunch today but I didn’t see you at the cafeteria. So, I asked around, and Jihyo-sunbae told me you like spicy food, so I got you spicy chicken skewers for takeout in case you didn’t really eat. Hope you like it, unnie! -Dahyun_

                Opening the packed lunch with a smile, she checks if their teacher has arrived yet before taking a bite. She smiles in satisfaction as she chews as she keeps the note Dahyun attached in her notebook carefully. She looks at her right and her smile falters when she sees an unamused Momo looking at her.

                “Oh hey,” Sana says slowly, not knowing what to say, “I didn’t see you there.”

                “Of course, you didn’t.” Momo drawls in sarcastically. “You were too busy flirting with track’s third star runner.” Momo slams her apron at the table to emphasize her unhappiness. This makes Sana sigh.

                “I wasn’t flirting with her. Dahyun just gave me food.” She smiles wistfully. Momo rolls her eyes. “You want some? It’s chicken.” Sana offers a stick of chicken.

                “No thanks.” Momo grunts. That gets Sana’s attention.

                “Look, why are you so upset?” Tired of the slightly older girl’s demeanor, she asks with a frown. “Are you upset about Dahyun giving me something?”

                “No. You, of all people should know why I’m upset.” Sana mulls over the things that Momo could be upset with. After a few ideas, she sighs.

                “Nayeon.” She groans, pinching her nose in frustration. “I told you you’ve gotta sort things out with her! Stop moping and start talking.”

                “As if.” Momo scoffs. “Why don’t you do it? She seemed to want to talk to you more than with me.”

                “What are you trying to say?” Sana narrows her eyes. “Is this why you’re upset with me? You’re her best friend. That’s stupid, of course she’ll want to talk to you.”

                “Oh yeah? Then tell me, why are you both in the garden instead of eating at the cafeteria? What were you talking about? Surely as her best friend, I have the right to know?” Sana’s defenses are suddenly up the ceiling. Revealing the real reason why they skipped lunch isn’t the wisest decision, and the gears of her head starts turning.

                “The same right Nayeon has to know your little secret?” She squeaks without thinking, and Momo hesitates. Knowing she hit a spot, she sighs again. “Look, that’s why I’ve been telling you to sort things out. You’re clearly hiding something from her, yet you act as if she’s solely at fault.

                “Besides, to tell you the truth, I don’t even get why you’re hiding this from her? Or are you not sure about it at all?” Their classroom door opens, and their apologetic teacher rushes in before Momo can respond. Sana lets her think about it, putting her things aside and her finished lunch at the trash can. Being a high school student sucks more than being a runaway heir from berserkers, she thinks.

                _“Momo,” a voice calls Momo and she turns around. She sees Jeongyeon, who’s holding two plates of food. “Can Mina and I join you? You seem to be alone.” Momo simply nods, not able to say no to her. Jeongyeon gives her a smile before setting the plates on the table._

_“Where’s Mina?”_

_“Getting water and utensils.”_

_“You seem to get along now. She’s a nice girl.” Momo comments nonchalantly, and Jeongyeon shrugs._

_“I asked her to be with me as friends instead of getting close to me because of guilt.” Heavy silence reigns. Momo observes the slightly older girl. She’s definitely lost some weight, and although her over-all demeanor looks happy, Momo sees the loneliness and pain swirling in her eyes._

_Momo looks away, afraid that she might drown in sadness. After all, she herself loved Chaeyoung with all her heart, and with her missing for a week isn’t making things better._

_“Momo, I don’t know if I should say this, but,” Jeongyeon hesitates, and Momo nod to encourage her to continue, “you and Nayeon should talk.” Momo narrows her eyes. “I’m not one to pry, you know that, but you two are obviously affected with whatever you’re on about.”_

_“You don’t know anything, Jeong.”_

_“I’m not saying I do.” Jeongyeon raises her arms in defense. “I’m telling you this now, Momo. You two should talk.” Jeongyeon’s voice drops, her hard gaze boring on Momo that brings shivers down her spine._

_“Talk, before you regret it.” Mina comes with water and utensils in hand, and the oldest girl smiles at her as if she wasn’t being ominous earlier._

_They eat, and Momo winces at how Jeongyeon can act nonchalant. She, however, ignores Jeongyeon’s warning despite whispers convincing her to do otherwise._

“… _that’s why I’ve been telling you to sort things out_ … _or are you not sure about it at all?_ ” First Sana, then Jeongyeon. She sighs while thinking about it. Their friends are obviously affected with her and Nayeon’s little fight and she sighs.

                _Sana’s right. Why can’t I tell Nayeon about it? Why am I being petty and childish about this?_

 

_Why can’t I just tell her that I like Chaeyoung?_

Yoona peeks outside as Siwon rushes away before locking the backdoor while sighing in relief. Chaeyoung, who’s now seated at the dining table, looks on, confusion swirling in her facial features.

                “Yoona- _unnie_ , what’s going on?” She finally asks, unable to hold her curiosity and apprehension. “Who died? And who’s he?”

                “Kim Sunggyu.” Yoona sighs before getting herself a glass of water in the kitchen. “Before anything else, I’d like to tell you that not all berserkers are evil, and not all mediums are good. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.” Chaeyoung nods in understanding before Yoona continues.

                “Sunggyu- _oppa_ is a berserker, but we’re friends with his family. He became a seer-in-training at the age of 8 and was ordained as the official seer at 10 years old.”

                “He sees the future?”

                “Yes, he does, but only those events which the gods would let him see.” Yoona drinks her water. “Long story short, his family was murdered when he declared that the prophecy would definitely come true, so, he hid from a group of berserkers with his friends since he knew he would be used to locate who the prophesied ones are.” Yoona leaves to wash her glass and lets Chaeyoung think about what she said.

                “I’ve heard about the prophecy earlier, Sana- _unnie_ read it. But we don’t get it.” Yoona chuckles.

                “Well, that’s the point. A few only know what it means. Others even try to interpret it by themselves, but it never ends well.” Chaeyoung picks up the melancholy tone the older girl has and her curiosity peaks, but she decides against prying.

“Then, who’s the guy you’ve been talking about?” The young ghost diverts the topic, but before Yoona can answer, her phone rings and she excuses herself before taking the call on the living room.

                While waiting, Chaeyoung’s eyes roam around the dining room until it lands on a closed door. Despite knowing better not to snoop around someone’s home, she makes sure Yoona is busy with her phone call before walking towards the door. Before she knows it, she’s already standing in front. She couldn’t understand but something was compelling her to go inside. Without thinking, she enters.

                One thing Chaeyoung liked about her current situation is that she can go through locked doors. It feels freaky, but it’s useful. Now, she finds herself inside what looked like a weapons room. She feels overwhelmed, however, with all the eerie vibes the items in the room are giving. There’s another door that is open on the left side of the room, and Chaeyoung supposes that it leads to the shop front.

                With all that was happening for the past week, the ghost forgets that Nayeon once detested these things, and now she’s suddenly amid the whole spirit thing, with poor Chaeyoung dragged into this mess. She just wants to find her living body and go back to normal, but suddenly she’s caught up with spiritist troubles she doesn’t even understand.

                “ _I feel like there’s more to it than Chaeyoung just disappearing._ ” Was there really a possibility that Chaeyoung isn’t simply dragged into this? She mulls over it but refuses to believe.

                Aside from them running from their abusive father, Chaeyoung lives a normal life with her sisters, she thinks. There’s nothing connecting them to the spirit world, is there?

                A wave of nausea hits her, and she’s brought back to reality. Wondering why she had the urge to go inside the room, she roams around, careful not to touch anything creepy and dangerous. She marvels at the different weapons and charms placed around the room and involuntarily shudders. These dangerous sets of equipment are used for spirits after all. _Evil spirits and berserkers_ , Yoona clarified before. Nevertheless, Chaeyoung feels the consequences of touching any of it now that she’s currently a ghost.

                Alive, but still a ghost, she reminds herself.

                Something catches her eye at the corner of the room.

                There was a box sitting at a table at the left corner of the room near the door to the storefront. As if something was pushing her, she glides towards it. Her eyes get fixated on the intricately designed metal box and her hands reach for it like a kid out to get candy despite all the warning signs blaring in her mind.

                A sudden spark, and Chaeyoung feels her initial nausea come back at her with full force and she stumbles, clutching her head. She closes her eyes and groans, but before she can hit something else, soft and sturdy hands hold her. She opens her eyes to see glowing blue hands and arms wrapped around her.

                “Chaeyoung- _ah_ ,” Yoona’s stern voice echoes around the room and Chaeyoung gulps, caught while snooping around. Yoona turns the guilty cub around and grabs her shoulders while kneeling. “Are you okay?”

                Getting caught while doing something she shouldn’t be doing the ghost guiltily nods. Seeing that the cub couldn’t look at her in the eyes, the older Im sighs. She then assists Chaeyoung out of the room and into the living room. She lets the ghost sit down, still wobbly.

                “Hey, Chaeyoung, I’m not mad.” Yoona smiles. “But you got me worried there.”

                “I’m sorry, _unnie_. I honestly know what came into me. I was drawn in, really. I don’t snoop around houses like that but there’s this feeling that–”

                “It’s okay. People get curious.” Yoona chuckles, cutting the rambling cub off. She then guides her to lie down at the sofa. “I know you find yourself not being able to sleep but try. You’ve been through so much.” The older girl stands. “But, I’m telling you, please refrain from snooping around that room. It’s dangerous for you. You’re a ghost, and you’re in a home of a medium. Remember that, okay?” Yoona ruffles the cub’s hair before going back to the weapons room to lock it.

                Before she does, however, she goes back to check the box that Chaeyoung was supposed to touch and she takes it to the table in the middle of the room. She traces her fingers on the designs of the metal box and the transparent orb attached on top. The orb has traces of silver in it and she narrows her eyes in suspicion.

_“Sunbae,” her guest’s voice gets her attention. The guest gives her a box that Yoona has only seen once in her life, and on top of the box is an orb attached to it, glowing gold. She pales. No way._

_“The orb. It’s time. The prophecy will be fulfilled.”_

She opens it, revealing two blades with missing jewels on the hilt. She simply looks at it, her eyes tracing the white blade on the left. She eyes the space where the blade’s jewel should be, and she sighs.

 

                That space is oddly shaped like Nayeon’s silver necklace.

                _So, it was Nayeon all along._

_“Why are you giving this to me?” Yoona asks her guest. The latter only gives her a mysterious smile before leaving._

_Did she know it was Nayeon?_ Yoona’s eyes widen. _Is she, perhaps, the new seer?_ She takes her phone from her pocket and dials a number.

                “ _Hello?_ ”

                “Wendy, we need to talk.”

                “ _I don’t want Chaeyoung to end up like your brother!_ ”

                “Nabongs, please wait, I’m sorry!” Jeongyeon calls while rushing out of the speech room to catch up a fuming Nayeon, leaving Mina behind. Mina simply shrugs when the other students look at her, not one to pry in other’s problems.

                Meanwhile, Nayeon continues to walk briskly towards the senior hall, ignoring Jeongyeon’s desperate cries to wait for her. She ignores the welling tears in her eyes, the junior’s words continuously ringing in her head. While walking up the stairs, a hand grabs her wrist and turns her.

                “Nayeon, I’m really sorry I–”

                “You what?” The senior fumes. “You didn’t mean what you said? It was a spur of the moment? Bullshit, Jeongyeon!” She yanks her hand away but Jeongyeon retains her firm grip.

                “I’m really sorry, Nayeon, I don’t know what came to me, I just–” Jeongyeon rakes her hair with her other hand in frustration. “I was just grieving, you’ve got to understand.”

                “I get that you’re grieving, Yoo, but don’t drag my brother into this!” The junior winces when Nayeon called her by her surname. Nayeon never does that. “What would you feel, huh? If you were in my shoes? My brother is missing for 7 years! You think that’s easy for me?” Jeongyeon remains mum, her head down in shame.

                Nayeon heaves, tears freely flowing down her face. With the younger girl’s grip slackening, she yanks her hand again before pointing at her.

                “You can’t just say things like that just because you’re grieving Jeong.” Nayeon’s voice softens a bit. She grabs Jeongyeon’s shoulders with her shaking hands. “Don’t bring my brother into this. It still hurts, even after 7 years. I don’t even know what happened.”

                “I’m sorry, I truly am.” Jeongyeon wipes tears from the senior’s eyes. “Please don’t cry, I don’t like to see you cry.” Nayeon smiles. Despite her own troubles, Jeongyeon still manages to care about the people she loves. Nayeon loves her for that, no matter how insensitive and annoying she gets. To be honest, Nayeon misses the annoying Jeongyeon.

                “Just be strong. Chaeyoung’s alive, okay? And she’ll come back.” Nayeon blurts out without thinking and the younger girl raises an eyebrow.

                “How would you know?” _Shit, I slipped_. Nayeon rakes her head in response to cover up her mistake.

                “Don’t you trust her?” She simply says and relaxes when Jeongyeon nods. She internally berates herself for her mistake, almost revealing their secret. She hugs the younger girl in comfort and they stay that way for a while.

                Downstairs, two pairs of sad eyes observe them. Tzuyu had to look away, afraid that looking at her _sunbaes’_ forlorn faces would make her cry. Jihyo sees it, and she offers a comforting pat on the shoulders.

                “I don’t know what to think anymore, Park- _sunbae_.” Tzuyu whispers. “The student body has forgotten already, and I don’t think the police are doing anything.”

                Tzuyu looks at Jihyo and the latter frowns, seeing her _hoobae_ broken unlike the strong Chou Tzuyu the school has come to know.

                “Hey, at least we’re still hoping, right? That’s what matters. Chaeyoung will be found okay? So, don’t go around looking like you’re about to cry.” Jihyo caresses the freshman’s cheek to ease her and the latter gives her a warm smile.

                “Tzuyu- _ah_ ,” Jihyo calls, unable to resist her curiosity. “Do you, perhaps, like Chaeyoung more than a friend?” The junior watches as Tzuyu’s smile falters and turns into a contemplative face, her eyes swirling with thought and confusion.

                “I honestly don’t know.” Before Tzuyu can explain, a shout gets their attention. They look up and see Jeongyeon struggling to hold Nayeon up, the latter looking faint.

                “Nayeon- _unnie_!” Jihyo exclaims while rushing up the stairs, Tzuyu trailing behind. “What happened?”

                “I don’t know! She just collapsed!” Tzuyu assists Jeongyeon in carrying the faint senior. They hold her on both of her sides. “Nabongs, what’s wrong?”

                “My head.” The older girl groans, her head lolling to the side.

                “Let’s get her to the infirmary.” Jihyo says, leading the three downstairs. “Nayeon- _unnie_ , stay with us, okay?”

                (At the same time, Yoona leads a still nauseous Chaeyoung out of the weapons room and into the living room. She doesn’t see it, but the orb on top of the metal box Chaeyoung was about to touch glowed, its transparent smoke suddenly a swirl of gold and silver.)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trivia: the metal box was last mentioned at chapter 3


	16. 15

 

* * *

_Sana blinks at her, an expression Momo can’t decipher plastered on her face. It makes the latter nervous and unsure suddenly. They’re out walking to buy school supplies since it’s the first day of third trimester of their sophomore year tomorrow. The slightly older girl stops walking, an expectant gaze facing the younger one._

_“Are you sure about that, Moguri?” Sana drawls out, and it makes Momo confused_

_“Yes, I’m pretty sure.”_

_“Are you really, really sure?”_

_“Why are you asking me twice?” Momo huffs and continues walking. Sana follows behind._

_“I’m just making sure, you know.” Sana catches up to walk beside the grumpy girl. “Besides, you don’t look like it.” She mutters._

_“What was that?”_

_“Nothing.” Sana points to an ice cream shop. “Let’s talk about it inside.”_

_They go in and buy their ice creams before settling down in one of the tables. Sana looks around to make sure no one of their friends or acquaintances are in the area._

_“So,” she pops her spoon out of her mouth. “Tell me about it Momoring. Tell me how you knew you liked her.” At this, Momo fidgets, unsure how to answer._

_“Well, I don’t know, I just ... did?” Momo shrugs. Sana raises her eyebrows at that._

_“You just did?” She squeaks. “Then how are you so sure you like Chaeyoung?”_

_“I’m sure about it okay? I just don’t know how, but I just knew.” Momo unknowingly raises her voice in defense, indignant at how Sana questions her own feelings._

_“Okay, okay, fine.” Sana drawls out, deciding to let that matter go. “Now, tell me one thing Momoring. Why tell me and not Nayeon?”_

Momo didn’t answer her that day, if she remembers correctly. To be really honest, she doesn’t know either.

                She walks along the corridor alone, intentionally leaving Sana behind their previous class to avoid talk. The clumsy girl means well, but Momo doesn’t need her speech right now. Sana does have the tendency to nag her friends’ ears off.

                _“Besides, to tell you the truth, I don’t even get why you’re hiding this from her? Or are you not sure about it at all?”_ Momo groans as Sana’s previous words ring in her head. Checking the time to see that she has at least 10 minutes to spare before her next class, she heads to the nearest bathroom (just in time to miss a fuming Nayeon going out of the speech room followed by a panicked Jeongyeon).

                She leans on one of the sinks while staring hard at herself in the mirror, her breath steady. Images of Chaeyoung passes through her mind and she sighs. The freshman has somewhat been a constant in their lives, and now that’s she gone it feels like they’re breaking down one by one.

                Jeongyeon is obviously the most affected among them. With her being the closest to Chaeyoung among all of them, she treats the cub like one of her own. Momo knows the slightly older girl tends to act strong for others even though she herself is feeling vulnerable, and she admires her for that.

                The school meal club, as Sana calls them, might not show it, but losing a third of them hurts a lot. The Japanese sees it, even the bubbly and energetic Kim Dahyun can’t hide her sad and worried eyes behind those beaming smiles (towards Sana, mostly). Even the stoic freshman Chou Tzuyu doesn’t bother hiding streaks of tears on her face.

                There’s Nayeon and Sana. Momo finds herself sighing. Nayeon has always been one to promote self-care, but recently seeing the senior throw that away makes her worry. But she doesn’t know what to do, with the older girl pushing her away and running to Sana instead. She feels neglected and ignored, but what can she do now? Sana tells her to talk but timing is always wrong. She sighs again; she’ll think about it when she sees them.

                Then there’s Myoui Mina, who’s suddenly talking with other people.

                “Hirai Momo- _ssi_?” Speaking of.

                She looks at the door and Mina is there standing, a curious look on her face. Momo flashes the biggest smile she can muster.

                “Myoui- _ssi_. Aren’t you with Jeongyeon?” She remembers the younger Japanese having the same elective with Jeongyeon.

                “Oh, she ran after Nayeon- _sunbaenim_. I think she was offended by something Jeongyeon- _unnie_ said.” Mina has a small, polite smile on her face before turning into a look of worry. “Are you okay? You were looking at the mirror for so long.”

                “It’s nothing of your concern, Myoui- _ssi_.” Momo’s tone is as polite as Mina’s, but Mina hears the underlying “why are you caring all of a sudden” underneath.

                Momo must’ve seen the look of hesitation Mina is trying to hide, because she gives an apologetic smile towards the younger girl.

                “I’m sorry, I’m not used to,” Momo gestures towards Mina, “to you being nice all of a sudden.”

                “It’s all right.” Mina purses her lips. Momo swears she had to lean closer to hear her clearly. “I get it. I’m not the most sociable person in high school, after all.”

                “Hey, we all have reasons.” Momo leans away from the sink. “Let’s go to the music room together, if that’s all right with you? After you do your stuff of course.” Mina nods and Momo lets her be, opting to wait for her outside.

                Their walk was a quiet one, both girls not knowing what to do, but it wasn’t as awkward as Momo had imagined it. In fact, she finds herself relaxed in the quiet girl’s presence. Had they tried , Momo thought Mina would’ve been part of their little circle of friends.

                “Where is Sana- _ssi_?” Mina’s question snaps Momo out of her reverie and, hearing the question, she sighs.

                “I went ahead of her. We’re – uhh – it’s complicated.” Seeing Momo struggling, Mina decides to drop the topic. They walk in silence again until they reach the music room. Before Mina can enter, Momo grabs her wrist. She looks up to see the older girl’s serious face.

                “Mina- _ssi_ , can I ask you something?”

                _“Your husband was a good man. We’re sorry about the accident.”_

_“We hope you find your son.”_

_“Condolences to you.”_

_Nayeon shuts her ears, refusing to hear more of the sad (and mostly empty) words people were giving to their family. She was by the door of their home along with her mom and Yoona, bidding the people who went to her father’s memorial goodbye._

_Nayeon had been locking herself in her room a few days before until a sad 11-year-old Jeongyeon dragged her out for the burial. She looked so broken that Jeongyeon actually feared her emotionless state. Nayeon only looked on the coffin that’s being lowered, refusing to talk to anyone nor to look anywhere else._

_Nayeon can’t feel anything. Losing her father and her brother in one accident was too much for her 12-year-old self._

_She looks at her father’s photo hanging by the wall of their home. His smile was blinding, a harsh reminder that they won’t be able to see it again in person. She thinks she won’t be able to smile that much after this, she had her father’s smile after all._

_“We’re sorry. We heard about the car. Nayeon-ssi must really be lucky.”_

_Contrary to the doctors’ prediction, Nayeon was able to walk 3 days after waking up. She, however, had to wear glasses from then on. Not that Nayeon minded. She was simply grateful she’s alive._

_She doesn’t understand, however, why her father didn’t survive and her Jaebum-oppa went missing. She thinks of all the possibilities and scenarios._

_Only to come up with nothing. She can’t even remember what happened._

_She frowns. Screw the accident. There are holes in her memories before the accident. She wasn’t diagnosed with amnesia though._

_But why doesn’t she remember things?_

Nayeon opens her eyes slowly, happy to know that her headaches gone. She hears two voices, the other one bidding goodbye. She blinks, figuring out that she’s in the infirmary and not anywhere else.

_Infirmary. Again._

“Good your awake, grandma. Honestly, you’re too heavy for your age.” An amused voice quips on her right and she glares at an annoyed-looking Jeongyeon. Nayeon internally chuckles though, the younger girl can be a tsundere most of the time, not bothering to hide the worried look in her eyes.

“Says the food vacuum.” Nayeon struggles to sit up, still weak. She ruffles her hair. “That’s some headache I had.”

“What happened? You just collapsed after nagging me.” Jeongyeon sits beside her. “Good thing you woke up, sleeping while having contact lenses is bad you know? You might’ve gone blind.”

 _Contact lenses?_ Nayeon scrunches her eyebrows before realization hits her. _Oh, right, eyesight thing._ Nayeon shrugs, not wanting to comment about her eyesight and what happened to her since she doesn’t know either.

“Some bad dizzy spell, I guess.” She looks at the wall clock and raises her eyebrow. “You should go to your class, Jeong. You’ve missed enough already.”

“I’ll stay until you get better. Jihyo’s got me covered anyway.”

“No Jeong, you need to go to your classes. No excuses.” Nayeon says firmly, Jeongyeon just stares at her defiantly until she sighs in defeat.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Definitely.” With that, the junior reluctantly gets her bag to leave, muttering how stubborn Nayeon is. She squeezes the senior’s hand before leaving. But before she can walk out through the door, she turns back around.

“Have I told you how caring you are even if you don’t mean to?” Jeongyeon looks at her with a small smile. “I know you think I don’t respect you as somebody older, but I do. I really do, _unnie_.” Nayeon blushes. It’s not everyday she would hear a compliment from the annoying (but adorable) short-haired girl. But when she does, Nayeon swears if she were any other person, she might’ve melted at the younger girl’s warm gaze then and there.

“Take care of yourself more, please.” And Jeongyeon leaves a touched Nayeon behind the infirmary. She unclenches the hand Jeongyeon was holding earlier and she finds a small packet of jellies on her palm.

“And have I told you Jeong,” Nayeon whispers to herself, “how thankful I am for meeting you?” She takes the packet close to her chest.

“We’ll bring Chaeyoung back, Jeong. I promise.”

_Grandma: Whatever you’re thinking, I’m fine. I went to the lockers just to text you that I’ll be running late._

_Snake: Okay, okay, no need to repeat. I’ll wait for you at the parking lot near the garden. We ended early._

Sana closes her phone and sighs. She’s heard from Jihyo and Jeongyeon that Nayeon had a trip to the infirmary. Again. The older assured her many times that she’s fine and that she just had a bad dizzy spell, but with everything that is happening, Sana couldn’t help but think that there’s something wrong.

She’s becomes paranoid of things, but she couldn’t help it. So much has happened for the past few days. She didn’t even think that she’d be somewhat active in the medium business since she’s been in hiding for years.

“Sana, aren’t you supposed to prepare for club? I heard you needed another audition day since you had so many people last time.” Sana yelps in surprise with the sudden voice. Jeongyeon looks at her in amusement, leaning in the locker beside Sana.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that, Jeong!” She clutches her chest while calming herself down. “Well, I’m actually going to–going home early. The seniors will take care of it, or at least that’s what Ten- _oppa_ said.” She almost told Jeongyeon she’s going to Nayeon’s home. Luckily Jeongyeon doesn’t notice.

“Oh, okay. Take care then.” Jeongyeon leans away from lockers before looking back at Sana. “I thought I’d be able to see you dance today. You’re such a charmer when you dance.” Sana, rendered speechless, blushes at the compliment and Jeongyeon chuckles.

The Japanese girl finds herself staring at the short-haired girl, her chuckle ringing pleasantly in her ears, and her eyes full of mirth. Although, she sees the glimmer of sadness in her eyes that she’s pretty sure Jeongyeon’s been hiding. Her heart clenches, and she promises to herself that they’d bring Chaeyoung out of this mess.

                “Well, I’ll go ahead. I’m gonna observe the softball team for a while. I don’t think I could play immediately.” This time, Jeongyeon’s chuckle is a bit empty.

                “Hey, I’m pretty sure the team understands.” Sana smiles. Jeongyeon returns it genuinely and it makes the former’s heart leap.

                “Thank you, Sana, for being a good friend.”Jeongyeon pats Sana’s shoulder before turning around. The latter dazedly watches her as she exits the locker areas, fixing her school blazer while at it.

                “Oh, and one more thing.” Jeongyeon abruptly turns around. “Go home with your gym clothes on. You’ll never know when you need to move around freely.” With that, Jeongyeon walks out leaving a confused Sana behind.

 _You make me speechless in so many ways, Jeongyeon_. Sana sighs, shrugging Jeongyeon’s random warning off as a precaution. So, she decides to follow anyway. She goes to the nearest bathroom to change in her gym clothes, wanting to take her skirt off herself. After changing, she goes back to the lockers before heading to the parking lot where she said she’ll meet Nayeon.

Their Hangeul class ended early, so there were not much people walking by the hallway. She walks leisurely since she still has time before Nayeon’s class ends. On her way back to the lockers, she sees Dahyun standing in front of a locker door. The junior was about to greet her when she sees the tears streaming down her face. She looks closer at the locker door she’s looking at.

 _Chaeyoung’s locker_.

“Dahyun- _ah_ ,” she calls softly to avoid startling the younger girl. Dahyun looks up with an emotionless face before beaming a smile on the junior.

“Sana- _unnie_!” Sana’s heart clench at the way the sophomore’s voice cracked while still keeping a cheerful tone. “What are you doing here?”

“My classes ended early.” Sana decides to go along, not wanting to scare Dahyun away.

“Oh, we’re the same.” Dahyun beams, but Sana isn’t fooled. “I’m here to put my other things before heading out on the track field.”

Sana hums in response, looking at the sophomore fondly. A few moments of silence with Dahyun trying to hold her smile on her face while standing awkwardly and Sana looking at her after, the former clears her throat, looking away from her _sunbae’_ s intense gaze.

“Well, Sana- _unnie_ , if you won’t mind, I’ll go now.” She bows in respect before turning around. But before she can leave, a hand grabs her wrist and turns her around. Suddenly, she’s enveloped in a warm embrace.

“You don’t have to pretend in front of me, Dahyun- _ah_.” Sana’s voice is different from her usual high pitch and jolly tone. It’s somehow raspy, lower, and warm. This make Dahyun break in tears, returning the junior’s hug fiercely.

“I’m sorry, _unnie_ ,” the sophomore wails in between sobs, “I just miss Chaeyoung so much!” Sana tightens her hug for comfort, letting Dahyun cry her heart out.

It crushes Sana’s heart to see even the cheerful Kim Dahyun breakdown like this. Dahyun is just like Jeongyeon, she muses. She keeps her grief to herself while trying to be the strong pillar for the others. Sana has seen the sophomore be a pillar to the devastated Chou Tzuyu while trying to hold her own tears. She respects the younger girl for that, and she bring Dahyun closer while whispering comforting words on her ear.

Funny how she did the same to Jeongyeon a few days ago, with the exact words, but this is what they need. And Sana would happily give it to them.

“Paging Miss Joohyun, I’d like to see the proposal files the other company sent me. Thank you.” Seungwan buzzes in her pager. She’s been working the whole day since she must finish all the papers she has before her appointed dinner tonight. Luckily her assistant (and love) Joohyun is very efficient. Now, she feels herself relax a bit, almost finishing her workload earlier than she expected.

She finds herself looking at the ceiling, a melancholy smile on her face. She just returned to working today since the paperwork is piled up. Her mind, however, is elsewhere.

Now that the police are out of the picture, Seungwan has been doing everything to find Chaeyoung on her own. Although, for the past days her search had been somewhat fruitless. She has valuable information, yes, but nothing close to where her sister is.

It makes her frustrated up to no end.

Then, there’s the dinner meeting she has. Maybe, just maybe, she gets something out of this. She’s tired of searching, but she won’t give up that’s for sure. She just wishes her search would end immediately. Every second counts, especially when her precious sister is at risk.

“Miss Joohyun,” she pages again after a few minutes, getting impatient. “Please proceed to the office.” A few minutes and Joohyun doesn’t enter. Seungwan sighs, getting up to check where her assistant is.

Before she can reach the door however, there’s a knock on her door. She blinks. _Who could that be?_ The door opens to reveal a pale Joohyun peaking a little. The younger woman furrows her eyebrows. _Joohyun never knocks._

Then, she sees it, the sweat building in her girlfriend’s palms, and her senses gets alerted. Joohyun enters slowly, followed by a man holding her at knifepoint. Seungwan’s eyes widen in recognition.

“You!”

“Hello, long time no see.” The man has a sinister smile on his face, and she sees Joohyun shudder in his arms. Seungwan looks at him with calculating eyes.

“How are you, seer?”

Sana sits by the tree in the school garden, her gym jacket’s shoulder wet with Dahyun’s tears. She lets it be, not minding how the sophomore bawled her eyes out.

_“I’m sorry! I’ll wash your jacket if you want!” Dahyun rambles after calming down, trying to take Sana’s jacket off._

_“No need!” Sana insists, but Dahyun’s hands are still reaching for the junior’s jacket zipper. “I didn’t know you wanted to see my glory that bad, Dahyun-ah.” She teases, a sly smirk on her face. With that, Dahyun freezes, a horrified look on her face that makes Sana laugh._

_“No! I didn’t mean–I just–But you–” The poor sophomore stammers, her pale face red as ketchup. Sana laughs more, pinching the younger girl’s cheek._

_“You truly are tofu, so cute!” Dahyun’s eyes are everywhere but on Sana, embarrassed._

_“I’ll go now, unnie! I, uuhh, yeah, I’ll go!” With that, Dahyun scrambles her way out of the lockers, leaving a very amused Sana._

She chuckles at the memory. It’s not everyday that she’ll see the composed tofu flustered like that. Dahyun has grown a soft spot on Sana; she adores the sophomore even before when Nayeon was talking about her.

A sob takes her away from her reverie and she sighs. _Why are there so many people crying?_ She ignores the noise since she didn’t want to pry on others, focusing on her phone instead. When the sobs grew frequent and louder, however, Sana decides to investigate.

She hears the sobs coming from the back alley near the parking lot leading to the dumpster area and pauses, her senses heightened when she feels something odd. She mentally thanks Jeongyeon for telling her to wear gym clothes, and she makes her katana appear, small ice shards sprinkling around the ground. With her katana in front of her, she slowly walks toward the alley with quiet steps, eyes wide in case some random attack happens.

She sees a girl in shabby clothes sitting on the corner while hugging her knees. She gulps audibly, this might not be good, but she decides to go anyway.

“Hey, are you okay?” The girl looks up sharply and Sana jumps in surprise. The girl’s eyes were bloodshot, her face full of oil marks, and her chains hanging down her chest.

_Oh, a ghost. No wonder._

“He’s here.” The girl’s voice was laced with so much panic. “He’s here! We should go!”

“What?” Sana is confused. “Who’s he?” She steps closer, her katana down to her side. “What are you afraid of?”

“He’s here!” The ghost repeats her words like a broken record, and Sana is doing her best to calm the ghost down. That is, until it shouts on her face before disappearing. Sana blinks in annoyance, and confusion.

 _Rude_. She groans. _I thought there’s something wrong_. She turns around to go back to the garden, only to be kicked in the gut, hard.

She flies until her back hits the wired fence that separates the school’s dumpster and the alley heading outside. She groans in pain and surprise, her hand missing her katana which is lying far away from her. Before she can recover and stand to check out what happened, a hand suddenly grips her neck and slams her at the brick wall hard. She coughs in pain and with lack of air, her hands trying to pry the hand that has a strong grip on her neck, her feet dangling in the air.

“So, you must be the one who kicked my darkee out.” A deep voice says, and Sana opens an eye to see a man with sharp red eyes. She panics internally, her eyes glowing blue. The man chuckles.

“It’s you? What do you want?” Sana manages to wheeze out, choking while at it. The man’s grip gets tighter and Sana had to gasp.

“What do I want?” The berserker laughs maniacally. “You just cost me my reward, bitch! I was supposed to have that chainless ghost already!” The man throws Sana away like a rag doll. She lands painfully on the ground, near her katana. Before she can take it, flames erupted around the two spiritists, and she yelps in pain, her hand slightly burned.

“You think you can get away from what you did, girl? Think again!” The man blasts a fireball towards Sana, and she barely reflects it with an ice shield. She runs around the circle, trying to find an exit, but there was none. A knife grazes her shoulders and she yelps, turning around to see the man slowly approaching her, three more knives on his hand.

“Tell me girl, where is the chainless ghost, then maybe I’ll spare you.” The man’s maniacal grin gives shivers down Sana’s spine.

“What do you want from it?” With her voice shaking because of fear and pain, she manages to ask.

“Bounty! There’s a reward for taking that ghost! A hefty price!” The man laughs again. “Honor and glory, too!”

“You’ll never get anything from me!” Despite her fear, she manages to spit out. In a rage, the man grabs Sana’s neck again, raising her in the air.

“You have no right to be brave, bitch! I am Xiumin, the greatest berserker bounty hunter in the world! A measly medium like you shouldn’t dare!” Sana finds herself losing air again, and she barely sees the man, called Xiumin, raising his now flaming knives towards her. She closes her eyes, saying silent apologies to everyone, especially Chaeyoung and Nayeon.

“If you’re not gonna give what I want, then prepare to die!”

 


End file.
